Nigel Farage is the latest politician to pack up his bags and head to the jungle to test his survival skills and willingness to eat strange parts of animals and insects.

His appearance fee hasn’t been disclosed but could, according to reports, be as much as £1m.

With that kind of sum on offer, it is not difficult to see the attraction but at the same time, they do not get much by way of public sympathy.

Political editor Paul Francis considers whether the gamble can backfire.

Matt Hancock

Former health secretary Matt Hancock joined the last series of ‘I’m A Celeb’ in a move that did not go down well with his fellow contestants or with the public at large.

The man who oversaw the government’s handling of Covid was never likely to get an easy ride from his jungle colleagues. He was expelled from the Conservative party and was forced to endure six consecutive bushtucker trials.

There was uproar over his appearance fee of £320,000 and he was also criticised after it emerged that while in the jungle, he continued to receive his salary as an MP.

Asked why he had decided to participate in the show he said that it was an opportunity to show his human side.

While initially cast as a pantomime villain, he did eventually win round some support in the camp, including Boy George, and came third behind winner Jill Scott, the former England lioness and second-placed Owen Warner, of Hollyoaks.

He was last seen in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins

Nadine Dorries

The former MP Nadine Dorries also courted controversy when she joined the celebrity line-up in 2012. It certainly won her some attention.

She had the Conservative whip removed when her appearance became public and was forced to apologise. She sought to explain her participation in the series on the grounds it was one of the few ways in which politicians could engage with their constituents.

However she did not fare well in the competition: she was the first celebrity to be booted off by the public ahead of rivals who included the former world darts champion Eric Bristow and the former lead singer of the band Kajagoogoo

She did manage to squeeze in some classic bush tucker trials which included eating Ostrich anus.

Interviewed about her experience on the show, she said it had been a “fascinating experience” but was not disappointed at being the first to be voted off. The winner was the actress Charlie Brooks, of Eastenders

Edwina Currie

The former farming minister managed to drop a huge clanger when she asserted wrongly in 1998 that most of the UK’s egg production was contaminated mainly by salmonella.

In 2014, she joined the celebrities on the show and came fourth. The series winner was Carl Fogarty, former motorcycle racer.

Despite the odd moment, she rose to notoriety when she revealed that she had had a four year long affair with John Major.

Lembit Opik

Former Liberal Democrat MP turned broadcaster in and around Kent, Lembit Opik dabbled his toes in the celebrity world when he joined those heading to the jungle in 2016.

Like many politicians, he did not let on that he had agreed to appear in the show and was one of a few who actually fared well and adjusted to jungle life relatively easily.

Interviewed after his exit, he said he had wanted to test himself and his ability to withstand and survive in the jungle. He also wanted to experience going hungry. “The show exceeded my expectations in a very good way… I have that in relative hardship you can learn a lot about yourself.”

Opik has since moved away from Kent to Wales.

Stanley Johnson

Former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in the late 70s and early 80s, Stanley Johnson was always going to be one-to-watch in the jungle in 2017, having seen his son dominate the headlines and be one of the key pillars of the UK's Leave campaign for the EU referendum just one year before.

His appearance in the 17th season of the show saw the now 82-year-old finish in seventh place, although one of his biggest triumphs on the show was arguably meeting eventual winner and Made in Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo.

The pair have since appeared on multiple episodes of Celebrity Gogglebox together in recent years.

Richard Kilroy-Silk

Another former MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk took the long trip down under to appear in the jungle.

Kilroy-Smith, a Labour MP from 1974 until 1986 for two different constituencies, before becoming an MEP in 2004. He presented a daytime show called Kilroy in between his two stints as a politician.

Despite being a familiar face on TV, he was still the first to be kicked off his series in 2008, lasting just 12 days.

Kezia Dugdale

Known for her role as a former Scottish politician and Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale entered camp on day three of the 2017 series.

Joining Stanley Johnson in the jungle, she was one of two newcomers alongside broadcaster Iain Lee.

However, her appearance was engulfed with controversy due to her being a serving Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian region at the time.

Despite avoiding being suspended by the party, her career in politics ended less than two years later after she resigned from the seat in July 2019