Paul Burrell pointing and Joe Swash looking annoyed
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OPINION: Get Burrell out! His bullying of Joe Swash on I’m A Celebrity… South Africa is disgusting!

Wicked whispers behind our Joe's back!

Joe Swash entering the I’m A Celebrity… South Africa jungle was the TV moment we’ve all been waiting to see, right?

So why then has Paul ‘the original royal butler’ Burrell taken exception to the former champ who is surely the only contender for the Legend crown?!

It just doesn’t sit right with me and I think his antics last night, when he went off whispering to Fatima, amount to nothing more than bullying.

Paul Burrell looking less than impressed in the camp
Paul looked less than impressed as Joe larked about with Dean in camp last night (Credit: ITV)

I’m A Celebrity icon Joe Swash needs protecting at all costs

A little lowdown in case you didn’t see Wednesday’s show (May 3). Before tucking himself in for the night, Joe played a prank on Dean Gaffney – who is sleeping on a bed instead of a hammock. The soap star stole Dean’s mattress and couldn’t control his giggles as he watched Dean realise what he had done.

Joe’s antics left fellow campmates Carol Vorderman and Jordan Banjo howling. But Paul didn’t seem too impressed. Instead, in the middle of the night, while everyone was sleeping, Paul snuck over to pal Fatima.

Perched on her bunk in the dark, he whispered: “I want you to be in the top three. You deserve to be in the top three – you’re a great leader. You are a gladiator. I want Alexander the Great to fight for us.”

Fair comment, one might say, but what came out of Paul’s gob next made me feel pretty uneasy (and confused – since when was Joe a baker?!).

“I don’t want Joe the baker to fight for us,” Paul whined, trying to overthrow him as Green Pride leader. “But you can step up and save the day Fatima.” Later, in the Bush Telegraph, Paul sniped behind Joe’s back some more: “Joe, you may be Pride leader, but all great leaders had a number two.”

He also told Fatima – of the one-time King of the Jungle: “I’d rather follow a 61-year-old gladiator into the field, than fight with a 35-year-old novice.” Viewers at home even took to Twitter to call Paul a “backstabber“.

Paul Burrell moaning to Fatima on I'm A Celebrity
Paul got up in the night to try and rally Fatima against Joe (Credit: ITV)

Back off, Burrell

Remind us again where you came in your series of I’m A Celebrity, Paul? Oh yes, that’s right. Second behind Joe Pasquale. So I’m not really sure where Paul gets off factually calling Joe a novice, when he’s gone one better than Paul.

Joe Swash is a national treasure and he should be treated as such.

And, also, bitching about someone behind their back is just mean. More than that, though, trying to rally the troops to gang up against someone else and make them feel like they’re not good enough is just bullying.

Maybe it’s sour grapes – Joe did what Paul couldn’t way back when in their original series, and it’s unlikely Burrell will beat Joe this time. My money’s on Joe winning the entire series.

Joe Swash I'm A Celeb
Joe’s entry into camp was the TV moment we’d all been waiting for (Credit: ITV)

Get bully boy Burrell out!

Bullying, in whichever form it takes, shouldn’t be tolerated. If he isn’t booted out or at least reprimanded for his outburst then what kind of example is that setting to the younger generation who watch the show?

Joe Swash is a national treasure and he should be treated as such. But even if he wasn’t, then what’s he ever done to you, Paul? Every single human being on this planet deserves respect, and last night you gave Joe none.

Shame on you. I can’t wait to see you voted out.

Read more: Stacey Solomon makes shock confession about Joe Swash taking part in I’m A Celebrity

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Nancy Brown
Associate Editor