I'm A Celebrity Day 16: Esther evicted (From Lancashire Telegraph)

I'm A Celebrity Day 16: Esther evicted

2:27pm Monday 1st December 2008 in TV

Esther Rantzen became the fifth person to be evicted from I'm A Celebrity... last night.

The 68-year-old TV presenter had to leave the jungle after polling the least amount of votes from the public.

She had been placed in the bottom two with ex-Blue singer Simon Webbe.

Upon being told she was leaving by presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, Esther exclaimed: "I feel great!"

During her interview with the duo, the former 'That's Life!' star admitted she would miss her campmates, saying: "I feel very sorry to leave because they are such lovely people and there are so many wonderful experiences.

"But I feel it's the right time."

Esther also admitted she felt uncomfortable with the apparent bullying of David Van Day and Timmy Mallett - who had to leave the jungle yesterday after losing The Last Chance Saloon head-to-head Bushtucker Trial to Brian Paddick.

She praised former EastEnders actor Joe Swash for confronting Brian and glamour Nicola McLean over their behaviour towards the pair.

Esther said: "People would gang up against two individuals. If you told me before what would happen I would have felt I could have handled it, but I couldn't.

"It took little Joe, who suddenly got very angry about it and held up a mirror to the people doing it and made them see what they were doing.

"I felt quite inadequate."