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Politician Kezia Dugdale defends joining I'm a Celeb

Photo credit: Rex Shutterstock
Photo credit: Rex Shutterstock

From Digital Spy

I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here's late arrival Kezia Dugdale is staunchly defending her decision to temporarily leave politics behind in order to enter the jungle.

Kezia and fellow latecomer Iain Lee are expected to arrive in camp within the coming hours, after being photographed suiting up in their jungle-wear earlier on Tuesday (November 21).

Back at home, former Scottish Labour leader Kezia has faced some claims that she's abandoning her constituents in Lothian by taking as much as three weeks away from the country's Parliament.

Photo credit: Ken Jack - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Photo credit: Ken Jack - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

However, Kezia has now insisted that she will be giving both her Parliamentary fee for the next three weeks and a portion of her I'm a Celebrity 2017 paycheque to charity.

"The minute I get back I am going to go straight from the airport into the parliament and vote. There are no major pieces of legislation that I am going to miss in the three weeks that I am here," The Sun has quoted Kezia as saying. "I will be back in time to vote in the budget and I will face my constituents then.

"I will be interested to hear people's opinions on the world, I guess we are going to spend a lot of time in the camp just talking, trying to pass the time because we don't have our phones or magazine or books or anything like that.

"So that is part of the appeal seeing people from all walks of life that I would otherwise never meet. I totally understand and fully expect that it is hugely controversial at home."

Photo credit: Rex Shutterstock
Photo credit: Rex Shutterstock

Kezia's situation brings to mind a similar dilemma faced by MP Nadine Dorries, who was suspended from the Conservative Party when she took time out from Parliament for I'm a Celebrity in 2012.

"I am by no means here because of Nadine Dorries, although I think if she was here she would say it did her no harm and she went on to almost double her majority if not more than that," Kezi argued.

"It is a huge privilege to do what I do, serving constituents of Edinburgh and Lothian and I am very proud to do that and I will return to do that."

I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! continues on Wednesday (November 22) at 9pm on ITV, followed by after-show I'm a Celebrity: Extra Camp at 10pm on ITV2.


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