Former jungle king Tony Blackburn has commented on the new I’m a celebrity…get me out of here! Spin-off set in South Africa that premiered on ITV this week.

Blackburn wowed the nation in 2002, being crowned winner of the very first season of the celebrity survival competition set in the Australian jungle.

The DJ and presenter has shared his thoughts on the all-star special I’m a Celeb… South Africa, saying he found recent scenes featuring Diversity star Jordan Banjo “terrible” to watch.

He told The Sun: “I loved doing the show and I hate to criticise but I watched it last night and it’s just awful.”

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Referring to an episode of the show that aired earlier this week in which dancer and presenter Banjo had to take part in a bushtucker trial and eat a lamb’s testicle, he added: “Eating pieces of penis is disgusting. I don’t find it entertaining. I can’t watch it. I turn away.”

“I don’t want to see celebrities vomiting on TV, especially after eating antelope.”

Banjo and supermodel Janice Dickinson had to eat a course of crocodile anus, goat lung, ostrich testicles and lamb testicles in the hope of winning meals for their camp mates.

Vegetarian Blackburn said the eating challenge was “terrible” and producers had lost touch with what the show once was.

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“I don’t preach vegetarianism,” he said.

“People can do what they want, but we’ve seen it all before, it’s a bit hackneyed now and the shock effect is no longer there.”

“Last night he swallowed a shovel of pork and said he could feel the hair – it’s horrible.”

Blackburn has confirmed that he will not return to the show as a contestant.

He revealed: “That’s what the producers don’t quite understand. I think the strength of the show is watching how people react to each other. That’s the fun of it.”

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“I’m 80 years old now, but if they asked me if I wanted to join, I would say no. I don’t want to do it again.”

Without naming any previous winners, he said he was not the only one, adding: “I’ve talked to one or two other people who have won it and I don’t think most of them could have done it.”

I’m A Celeb… South Africa launched on April 24 and, alongside Banjo, other celebrities taking part include Paul Burrell, Carol Vorderman, Shaun Ryder, Helen Flanagan, Fatima Whitbread, Phil Tufnell and Amir Khan.

I am a celebrity… South Africa airs Monday to Friday at 9pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.

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