Viewers pick Gest for first bushtucker trial

David Gest became the first celebrity voted by viewers to undergo a Bushtucker Trial as the sixth series of ITV’s jungle reality show I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! Kicked off last night.

With Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly presenting, the 10 celebrity contestants canoed and bungee-jumped to reach their camp in the Australian bush.

Former pop star Jason Donovan had top billing in the opening credits, followed by Hear’Say singer-turned presenter Myleene Klass.

Also taking part are DJ Toby Anstis, Tony Blair’s sister-in-law Lauren Booth, comedienne Faith Brown, fashion designer Scott Henshall, actress Phina Oruche, former newsreader Jan Leeming and ex-Busted singer Matt Willis.

But it was Liza Minnelli’s ex-husband Gest who appeared to make the biggest impact among the celebrities.

Ten minutes into the show he was already name-dropping, as he showed off his prowess in handling snakes.

“I used to go to Michael Jackson’s house and play with all the different snakes,” he said.

He also greeted Lauren Booth as “Cherie” and called her a “f****** c***” during a conversation with Anstis.

Gest was furious after hearing Booth had referred to him as “ironing board face” in an interview last week.

At the end of tonight’s show, viewers voted Gest as the next contestant to undergo a Bushtucker challenge to win food for the camp.

Jan Leeming had volunteered for the opening challenge, which saw her suspended in a dark “mine shaft” to collect stars from caverns set in the walls.

“I’m not happy about going ahead,” a nervous Leeming said before she began.

The first cavern was filled with scorpions and the second with green ants.

She grabbed the stars from both – but panic soon set in.

“I’m covered in ants and they’re biting me,” she complained.

She abandoned the next two caverns when she realised they were filled with rats and snakes.

The next was home to toads, which Leeming pulled out and threw to the ground one by one.

Grabbing the star, she decided she had had enough and was winched up – but dropped one of her stars.

Back in camp, Leeming embellished the horrors of the trial and told the group she had faced flying leeches.

As well as voting for who will undergo the jungle challenges, viewers also decide who wins the series.

A rush of bets on the show’s outcome took place just before it started, according to bookmakers William Hill.

The boomakers, who have Jason Donovan as their favourite to win at 5/2 odds, took nearly 1,000 bets in the hour before the show began.

Spokesman Rupert Adams said: “All the celebrities have been well backed with the exception of David Gest, who has been completely ignored.”

However Ladbrokes spokesman Nick Weinberg has said of the betting: “It’s been one way traffic. David Gest was backed in from 33/1 through 20/1 into 16/1. He’s doing something right – although we’re not sure what.”

Previous winners have included the former Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona and Carol Thatcher, daughter of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.