Nigel Farage’s best friend reveals star doesn’t want drama and won’t play games to make I’m A Celebrity final

NIGEL Farage’s close pal reckons she’s worked out the REAL reason his place in the I’m A Celebrity final is under threat.

Alex Phillips has told how her friend of 16 years won’t play up to the cameras for extra airtime – unlike some of his campmates.

Last night, seven million people watched Nigel eating penis pizza after voting for him to do a gruelling Bushtucker Trial.

However, Nigel gamely tucked into a medley of members from sheep, bull, pig and crocodile to win stars for camp.

His performance was in stark contrast to screaming YouTuber Nella Rose who has been accused of “faking” her I’m A Celebrity fears.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Nigel’s ex-aide Alex said: “I don’t think Nigel’s ever watched an episode of it in his life, and he’s just going in and being him.

“He’s not trying to create situations or dramas or anything to try and stay in.

“So, you know, if he doesn’t survive, it will be that because he’s just going to play it straight.”

Rumours are rife that Nigel is plotting a political comeback – and hopes being on I’m A Celebrity will help to connect him with a younger audience.

The former UKIP and Brexit Party leader won’t be surprised about being put up for Bushtucker Trials, agreeing he is “a hero” to some and “a villain” to others.

Within a day of being in the jungle, Nigel was accused of “demonising migrants” by First Dates Frenchman Fred as they discussed Brexit.

But Alex insists the 59-year-old won’t be fazed by confrontation from his fellow campmates.

She said: “Nigel is used to people calling him all sorts of names under the sun and making very personal attacks against him, like ‘you’re a racist’, ‘you’re a xenophobe’, ‘you’re this, you’re that’.

“That is what Nigel put himself through knowingly for decades, he’s used to that. It must hurt him to some degree because he’s actually a very emotional person, very soft and quite paternal.

“He’s driven largely by this motivation of love for his country, so I think for him, it’s a sacrifice that’s always been worth it.

“And so if anybody’s going to be the best at dealing with acrimony in that camp it’s him because he’s led a political party and nothing’s more acrimonious than a political party.”

Nigel worked with Alex when she was UKIP’s head of media before serving as a Brexit Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

The 39-year-old now works as a presenter on TalkTV.

Earlier this month Alex launched her new weekday show, Cross Talk, with her co-host Kevin O’Sullivan.

The pair present a 30-minute round-up of the headlines at 9.30am followed by their two-hour show at 1pm.