Fan backlash after reports Pete Evans ‘confirmed’ as star on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 2021

News Controversial celebrity chef Pete Evans could star on a reality TV show after his latest controversy has blown up social media.

Social media has been set alight Monday night following a report Pete Evans has been confirmed to star in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 2021.

In a further twist after a day of controversial headlines, the celebrity chef has reportedly signed on for the next season of the reality show, about to start being filmed in the jungle in northern NSW.

TV Blackbox reports Evans and producers were in crisis talks at the location this afternoon, with producers forcing him to post an apology to his Facebook account after he shared a cartoon on social media that included a neo-Nazi symbol known as the Black Sun.

It led to Channel 10 trending on Twitter Monday night, despite the line-up for the show not being officially announced with viewers pleading with the network not to give the controversial chef a further public airing.

Channel 10 has been contacted for comment on the issue.

Rumours about Evan’s participation in the show have been swirling for days after the first promo for the season dropped.

Addressing it on Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa on Friday, host Julia Morris said hoped it was true.

“Surely at a minimum there’s been a conversation,” she said.

“I saw the rumours in the paper and I said please let that be true because that might actually make my year!”

Fitzy agreed that the controversial celebrity chef was “fascinating” to watch.

Over on Kyle and Jackie O’s radio show however, Morris hinted she could know more than she was letting on.

She said there were a number of celebrities with “different schools of thought” heading to the outback.

If you go ahead with Pete Evans, you are endorsing his damaging views. Even his publisher has pulled the pin. It’s not too late. Don’t damage the channel 10 brand.

— Sue (@Lauralee2323) November 16, 2020

People on social media said there was zero chance they would be watching the show if Evans was on.

Musician Ben Lee tweeted, “Absolutely not, Channel 10. No airtime for a guy who is using his platform to brainwash and radicalise his audience.”

Dr Vyom Sharma, a GP and medical commentator who doubled down on his earlier comments about Evans, simply tweeted “f***ing unreal”.

Pete Evans wears a MAGA hat on Facebook.

The controversial chef has been dropped by his publisher.

EVANS APOLOGISES OVER POST

The furore comes after Evans offered “sincere apologies to anyone who has misinterpreted a previous post of a caterpillar and a butterfly having a chat over a drink and perceived that I was promoting hatred”.

“I look forward to studying all of the symbols that have never existed and research them thoroughly before posting. Hopefully this symbol (heart emoji) resonates deeply into the hearts of ALL! (heart emoji),” he wrote, alongside a picture of a rainbow coloured heart.

❤️🌈✌️ Sincere apologies to anyone who misinterpreted a previous post of a caterpillar and a butterfly having a chat over...

Posted by Chef Pete Evans on Sunday, November 15, 2020

His publisher Pan Macmillian earlier announced it was “finalising” its relationship with Evans, saying that it “does not support the recent posts made by Pete Evans” which featured the Black Sun symbol.

“Those views are not our views as a company or the views of our staff. Pan Macmillian is currently finalising its contractual relationship with Pete Evans and as such will not be entering any further publishing agreements moving forward,” the statement read.

“If any retailer wishes to return Pete Evans’ books please contact Pan Macmillian.”

Dymocks Australia promptly followed suit, with the book retailer tweeting that they “are in the process of removing his books from our website and have advised our stores to return their stock as offered by the publisher”.

They were the latest to react to Evans’ controversial social media posts, with Dr Sharma tweeting that Evans “is the literal Merriam Webster dictionary definition of ‘f***ing idiot” after the ex-My Kitchen Rules star suggested that coronavirus doesn’t exist.

Evans’ previously told a video interviewer that people don’t spread COVID-19.

“Is that what we’ve come here to do? Do we have the belief in ourselves that we’re contagious, that we are spreaders of something?” Evans asked.

Pan Macmillan is "finalising" its contractual relationship with Pete Evans.

Asks retailers who want to return his books to contact them. pic.twitter.com/rEP8PrS22A

— Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis) November 16, 2020

Einstein’s theory of special relativity makes no sense to me. But I believe the narrative because I know there are people out there who are smarter than me, and know more things. And hence I rely on my GPS when driving.

— Dr Vyom Sharma (@drvyom) November 14, 2020

“I choose not to believe in that narrative because it doesn’t make any sense to me.”

The interviewer then asked Evans if he was concerned that his choice to ignore medical advice could spread the virus to more vulnerable people.

After scoffing and snorting, Evans replied: “It doesn’t spread the virus.”

Dr Sharma was among thousands of Victorians who rejected the claims on social media – leading to a mass of tweets that saw Evans trending again on Twitter.

Dr Sharma then went further with his comments.

“I’ve reflected on my comments. I stand by them, but they miss a more consequential point,” he wrote.

Beyond Pete Evans, I think this encapsulates much of my commentary in 2020.
I rarely say anything that’s considered controversial among doctors privately. I don’t claim to have any original thoughts.
There’s something to be said for doctors speaking up more than we currently do https://t.co/6GbMW4SI2y

— Dr Vyom Sharma (@drvyom) November 15, 2020

We are in the process of removing his books from our website and have advised our stores to return their stock as offered by the publisher. Thank you

— @dymocksbooks (@Dymocksbooks) November 16, 2020

“Yes he’s a f***ing idiot. But that’s not a moral failing.

“He sells $15K cures for an ailment, then pivots to claiming it’s a hoax, based entirely on self interest.”

The $15,000 cure Dr Sharma is referring to is the BioCharger, a device Evans was flogging on his social media channels that he claimed could be used to treat “Wuhan coronavirus”.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration fined him $25,000 for lifestreaming the baseless claims to his 1.4 million followers.

The Federal Government’s regulatory body wrote in its assessment that Evans had shared “a claim which has no apparent foundation, and which the TGA takes extremely seriously”.

On Sunday, more doctors voiced their opinions about Evans’ claims and how he used social media to spread misinformation.

Fellow Melbourne GP, Dr Brad McKay, wrote on Twitter: “Pete Evans used his celebrity status to create a large social media following.

“He encouraged his fans to protect themselves from coronavirus by huddling around an expensive fluorescent light, while also discounting the virus as a hoax. Please ask your friends to unfollow him.”

Pete Evans used his celebrity status to create a large social media following. He encouraged his fans to protect themselves from Coronavirus by huddling around an expensive fluorescent light, whilst also discounting the virus as a hoax. Please ask your friends to unfollow him. https://t.co/Nh0hqAsgON

— Dr Brad McKay (@DrBradMcKay) November 15, 2020

Dr Pieter Peach, an anaesthesiologist from Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, wrote: “Behaviour like this by influential celebrities needs to be called out.”

Dr Simon Gibbs, who is director of the Victorian and Tasmanian Amyloidosis Service and a haematologist, wrote: “There are many, many doctors who agree with Dr Sharma but are prevented from saying as much because of social media clauses in their contract with private and public hospitals.

“Pete Evans says he has a $15,000 machine that ‘cures COVID’ but doesn’t believe the virus exists,” he wrote.

Instead of bunkering down amid the backlash, Evans shared the cartoon.

Um... pic.twitter.com/liNIjFMK8q

— Byron Kaye (@byronkaye) November 15, 2020

When it was pointed out to Evans that he had shared a symbol from Nazi Germany and some occult subcultures, such as Satanism, the chef best known for sharing his paleo diet wisdom responded: “I was waiting for someone to see that”.

– With Alex Turner Cohen