Ant McPartlin has come under fire for making "negative" comments about Sam Thompson on I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! during Sunday's (27 November) episode.
Made in Chelsea star Sam, 31, took part in the latest trial, called Fishy Business, alongside Youtuber Nella Rose, 26, with the pair succeeding in winning stars for camp. Having returned to camp and shared the good news with their co-stars, Sam proceeded to hug all of his fellow campmates.
However, host Ant, 48, took the opportunity to make a 'dig' at Sam's positive attitude and his tendency to hug everyone frequently, much to I'm A Celeb fans' annoyance.
Ant said: "At least the trial went well. It delivered the ultimate prize for camp, the one thing they value more than anything." Dec then added: "Food!"
Ant continued: "No, an hour without being hugged by Sam. That would have been bliss. You see, he is a nice kid and all that, he is a nice kid but the hug is too much. I wouldn't like that, that's too much for me. Back off."
Fans took to social media to criticise Ant for his comments, saying Sam, who has made no secret of how much he idolises Ant and Dec, will be "heartbroken" when he watches the show back.
One said: "Sam’s gonna come out the jungle and see ant and dec taking the p**s out of his hugging and it's gonna break his heart." A second viewer added: "That was a bit mean from Ant about Sam."
Another fan wrote: "Ant, i love you, but respectfully, shut up being negative about Sam."
It's not just viewers that have been jumping to Sam's defence while he's in the jungle, as his best pal Pete Wicks has also hit back at critics who have called Sam "annoying".
Pete told the Daily Mail: "So many negative comments about Sam Thompson on I'm A Celeb. He has Autism and ADHD, he cannot help how he is. (Although there's nothing wrong with how he is in my eyes) It's a shame that people are still so uneducated on hidden disabilities."
Sam shared his diagnosis on Channel 4's Is This ADHD?, saying it felt like a "weight had been lifted" off his shoulders last year.
Pete, also acknowledged that while Sam can be a "bit full-on," he's also likely to keep viewers glued to the screen.
"People should embrace that because he's entertaining and that's what the show is about. He should be defined by the fact that he's a really fun, positive guy and that's his personality aside from having ADHD and autism," Pete added.
Pete and Sam met on Celebs Go Dating and formed a close bond, going on to work together on several projects. Pete is currently preparing to jet out to Australia to meet his best pal on the I'm A Celeb bridge when he exits the show.
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