ITV fined for I'm A Celebrity rat killing
Gino D'Acampo, last year's winner
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Monday, 08, Feb 2010 11:08
By inthenews.co.uk staff.
ITV has been forced to pay a fine in Australia after contestants on the reality TV show I'm A Celebrity. Get Me Out Of Here! killed and ate a rat.
The RSPCA in Australia took the show's makers to court after Gino D'Acampo, last year's winner, and Stuart Manning killed a rat with a knife because they were hungry.
The animal rights charity said the rat suffered unnecessary pain, and took a minute and a half to die. A court in Sydney ordered ITV to pay AUS$3,000 (£1,903) to the RSPCA for animal cruelty and $2,500 (£1,390) in costs.
An ITV spokesman apologised for the incident, adding: "The production was unaware that killing a rat could be an offence, criminal or otherwise, in New South Wales, and accepts that further enquiries should have been made.
"This was an oversight, and we have since thoroughly reviewed our procedures, and are putting in place a comprehensive training programme to ensure that this does not happen in future series."
D'Acampo and Manning ate the rat whilst they were in exile from the rest of the celebrities, and rationed to rice and beans. The shows producers had given them permission to kill the rat.