News of Nigel Farage's inclusion in this year's I'm A Celebrity was always going to ruffle the feathers of those staunch in their preconceived perceptions of the former Brexit Party leader.
Fresh from the controversy sparked by Matt Hancock's inclusion in the 2022 series, ITV bosses pulled out all the stops to bag the GB News star, with a reported seven-figure sum heading his way in return for three weeks of hammock-sharing with creepy crawlies and a diet of rice and beans - and perhaps the odd kangaroo teste.
The man who spearheaded the campaign to take us out of the EU has managed to anger a small yet vocal pocket of would-be viewers before even stepping foot in the jungle as they feel he doesn't belong in the line-up of a light-hearted primetime ITV show.
In fact, it seems those hellbent on crying for a boycott seem content with a fluffy line-up of celebs that consists of YouTubers, Made in Chelsea twentysomethings and that bloke off First Dates.
But while Hancock's inclusion sparked pockets of public outcry, Farage's introduction has heightened the volume and led to a number of famous figures hopping on the keyboard-bashing social media bandwagons they themselves desperately try to avoid - or in this case appease.
Kathy Burke, "comedian" London Hughes, and the face of Manchester's panto scene Jason Manford - who people can catch in Jack and the Beanstalk this winter while Nigel entertains the nation each night on ITV - have all condemned his spot in the jungle.
Nigel Farage joins Josie Gibson and Nella Rose in the first I'm A Celeb task of the series
ITV
Even when Manford was called out for a tweet in which he said he was "gutted" that he'd be forced - not sure by who - to avoid I'm A Celeb because of Nigel's inclusion, he doubled down.
When one X, formerly Twitter, user told the comedian "we live in a democracy where others are supposedly permitted a different view", Manford eloquently replied: "I don’t care, the guy is a t**t."
Incredible moral righteousness from a man who once had to leave his job at The One Show on the BBC for... well, Google it.
On Wednesday afternoon, a little under 48 hours after Nigel was unveiled as a campmate, the #BoycottImACeleb hashtag had garnered a little over 11,000 posts - and inevitably it will have risen by Sunday's premiere.
Nigel Farage is already one of the frontrunners to win the series
ITV
And while those within the online echo chamber may view this as some sort of accolade to pat each other on the back about, they prove once again they've missed the entire point of why Nigel is needed on such a show.
Last year, ITV regularly boasted audiences of around 10 million all in spite of the decried Hancock chowing down on the anatomy of god-knows-what while Ant and Dec chuckled on.
If similar numbers tune in this time around, those 11,000-or-so complainers resemble the same sort of impact a Tesco meal deal would have on Nigel's I'm A Celeb pay packet.
Hancock even made it all the way to the final of the series, losing out to the current Queen of the Jungle and Lioness icon, Jill Scott, despite Twitter - sorry, X - consistently being flooded with the usual cocktail of moans and self-righteous calls for him to be axed.
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The left calling for Nigel Farage's axe from the show only prove his point about woke culture
GETTY
So will ITV care if a few moody lefties and pandering celebs decide to switch off? Maybe. Will Nigel? Not a chance.
The anger sparked by Nigel's inclusion in a mainstream staple proves the necessity for him to be involved in order to represent those marginalised voices who've been told everything they stand for is wrong for the past seven years.
The very notion of having someone who doesn't represent the politically correct safety of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and beyond is so absurd to today's audience that they believe he should be silenced.
Even as someone who backed Remain, voted Labour in the last election, and finds himself at loggerheads with much of what Farage says politically, that to me is bonkers.
Censoring - or "boycotting" - Nigel because he said something you didn't like doesn't make someone right, it breeds ignorance.
WATCH NOW: Harry Redknapp backs Farage for I'm A Celeb glory
Not only that but by crying for his expulsion from the jungle before he's even stepped foot inside only leans into the cancel culture model that the left protest doesn't exist but the right sees as rampant as ever.
And when that occurs, the voices from the furthest on either side get louder and louder until all signs of nuance and rational discussion are as non-existent as the chances that Manford's Jack in the Beanstalk stint will result in Tony Award glory.
But with the boycott calls pouring in hour by hour, the ship for people making up their own minds once they see what Nigel has to offer in the jungle may have already sailed.
And once he emerges, as King of the Jungle or not, Nigel will be viewed as a champion by millions purely for appearing on a mainstream show in light of such petulant calls for his head.
All in all, the left crying for a boycott does little but boost Farage's stock to sky-high levels, and the only thing that will be weighing him down once he arrives back in the UK will be his wallet - and the left will have no one to blame but themselves.
