I’m A Celebrity: Tinchy Stryder should have been first out of the jungle
Jimmy Bullard is a big loss to this year’s show and, as a viewer, his absence will be felt more than if Tinchy had gone, says Emma Daly
There was a huge shock in camp last night as Jimmy Bullard became the first contestant to be voted out of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! With the campers split into two competing groups, Jimmy had failed to win immunity from the public vote along with Melanie Sykes, Carl Fogarty and Tinchy Styder. Any of them would have been a loss but, as a viewer, Jimmy's exit feels like more of a blow than if Tinchy had gone.
While Jimmy’s been bouncing around camp, there’s barely been a peep out of Tinchy. He popped up in last night’s episode helping broadcaster Michael Buerk perform his own little rap. But where has he been the rest of the time? He says about as much as that guy in the Dingo Dollar hut. Even when Tinchy was trapped inside a tomb, covered in snakes he didn’t say anything. Hats off for dealing with it like a trooper, but where’s the drama, the screaming, the panic? Sure, it’s mean to want to watch the celebrities struggle through the trials. But that’s the fun of the show, right? You only have to look at how many times terrified Kendra Wilkinson has been voted in to do the tasks to get a sense of the viewing public’s mood.
Jimmy on the other hand has barely been off screen. From turning aerobics instructor to freaking out when his microphone cable brushed his ear, he’s lifted campers’ mood with his booming voice and bouncy personality. He’s been nervous as hell during trials in a is-the-beep-machine-going-to-break kind of way. He was a walking bundle of unpredictable energy that made the show exciting.
And of course he had his blooming good jungle ‘bromance’, dubbed 'Joggy', going with Foggy, who was left sobbing at the loss of his mate. No more man hugs, no more pranks, no more renditions of Sweet Home Alabama… sigh.
It seems Jimmy may have shot himself in the foot after his row with X Factor star Jake Quickenden. Jimmy was on route for the final, if not the jungle crown, according to the bookies. His comments about the singer’s skills and level of fame appeared to quickly turn people off of him. It was just “banter” Jimmy explained after exiting the camp. And, come on, isn’t this what we want? A bit of feistiness, a bit of ‘who’s the most famous of them all?’ as the celebs scrape rice and beans out of a pot? Last year there was even a task that asked them to line up based on their level of fame. High emotions in camp is part and parcel of the show.
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Tinchy’s clearly a nice guy, and maybe he and MC Buerk will step up to take the ‘bromance’ crown – after all we had high hopes after their initial meeting and all of that special handshake business – but it’ll be a quiet place without Joggy.
Who do you think should have gone last night? Vote now:
