The former UKIP and Brexit Party leader was taunted about Brexit before he was chosen by the public to take part in the next bushtucker trial.

He was introduced in the first episode saying: "I'm known for politics, for Brexit, and I'm a hero to some people and an absolute villain to millions.

"In the jungle you're going to find the real me. You might like me more, you might dislike me more, but you will at least find out.

"The best way to handle conflict is to tackle it head-on. I dealt with snakes in the European Parliament, I can cope with this too."

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly joked about Farage's GB News show when they offered an apology to the channel's viewers for the fact he will not be presenting his programme while he is away in Australia.

"Sorry Keith, sorry Linda," they said.

In Monday's episode, Farage will take part in the bushtucker trial - a typically gruesome set of tasks to pass to secure dinner for the team - but he warned he has "quite serious physical injuries".

He won't be able to do "anything involving weightlifting", he told the Mirror ahead of entering the jungle.

"I've obviously had some quite serious physical injuries and neck reconstructions, and goodness knows what else," said Farage, who was in a plane crash at an airfield in Northamptonshire n 2010.

"So they are fully aware that I'm a little bit damaged when it comes to bodily structure. But having said that, I can still do most things.

"I doubt any of the trials are actually going to kill me, although I don't think they'll all be a bag of fun but look, I signed up for this. It's in for a penny in for a pound. So let's go."

Audience drops

An average of 7 million viewers tuned into the opening night, with ITV reporting a peak audience of 7.8 million.

That's significantly less than last year's opening night, which had an average audience of 9.1 million people.

Former health secretary Matt Hancock was part of the 2022 show, but did not enter the jungle until later in the series.

Read more from Sky News:
Farage to seek millions in damages from NatWest
Coutts chief executive resigns after Farage banking row

Click to subscribe to Backstage wherever you get your podcasts

Farage was joined by other celebrities such as food critic Grace Dent and Jamie Lynn Spears, the sister of superstar Britney.

Dressed in green chinos and a pink shirt, Farage and two other campmates - YouTuber Nella Rose and This Morning host Josie Gibson - arrived in the Australian Outback rather than the jungle.

The trio had to complete tasks to win time for campmates taking part in other challenges in a bid to win stars and food, which saw them using their mouths to hunt for tokens inside a campervan full of snakes while unable to use their hands and rummaging around in gunk.

During the trial Farage spoke eagerly about doing "something different in life" and Gibson replied: "It can't be worse than Brexit."

"Oh… didn't take long did it?" Mr Farage said. "Didn't take long. I had a feeling we'd get a bit of that."

When the celebrities gathered in the jungle camp they had a full meal of kangaroo hide after collecting 10 stars between them.

It was at the end of the first episode when Ant and Dec broke the news that the public had voted for Farage and Rose to complete the next bushtucker trial, entitled Jungle Pizzeria.

Farage did not appear to be surprised by the news.