I'm a Celebrity winner Sam Thompson reacts to Nigel Farage's £1.5 million fee

Sam Thompson was just as surprised as the next I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! fan to find out how much one of his campmates had been paid to be on the show.

The Made in Chelsea star and radio presenter was crowned King of the Australian jungle during the finale, which saw him triumph over runner-up Tony Bellew, while former politician Nigel Farage came in third.

It was former UKIP leader Farage's hefty pay check for his I'm a Celeb stint that surprised Thompson, who had a candid reaction upon discovering his co-star had received a £1.5 million fee to take part in the latest season.

For his part, Thompson revealed he would have 'paid them' to be on the show, so keen he was to try his hand at the stomach-churning trials.

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"Mate, I would have done it for anything! I would have been a very, very easy negotiation. I would have paid them to be on it," he told The Times.

Asked about joining the show on its 23rd season, Thompson said it wasn't a 'career move' for him, and that he genuinely wanted to get to know hosting duo Ant & Dec.

"It wasn't monetary, or a career move, I genuinely wanted to go and eat camel's penis. I wanted to meet Ant [McPartlin] and Dec [Donnelly], they're my heroes, the most iconic people of my life."

Speaking about Farage, whose participation on the show was met with some raised eyebrows, Thompson couldn't hide his shock, noting that the former politician's fee could've covered the cost of 'five houses'.

"Was he? Bloody hell! I didn't have a clue," Thompson said when he learnt Farage had received £1.5 million. "You could buy five houses for that!"

ITV

This season of the reality TV programme has been quite the rollercoaster, with two campmates leaving the show on medical ground after just a few days. Both food critic and MasterChef guest judge Grace Dent and Britney Spears' sister, actress Jamie Lynn Spears, left the camp on medical grounds before the first formal elimination, which saw jockey Frankie Dettori becoming the first celebrity to be voted out.

This year's line-up also included First Dates maître d' Fred Sirieix, EastEnders' Danielle Harold, YouTuber Nella Rose, This Morning presenter Josie Gibson, DJ Marvin Humes, and Hollyoaks veteran Nick Pickard.

I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! airs on ITV1 and ITVX.