Boris Johnson’s dad Stanley says he’s up for any I’m A Celebrity challenge — even eating kangaroo testicles
HE is I’m a Celeb’s oldest ever contestant — but Boris Johnson’s 77-year-old dad is up for any challenges thrown his way.
Stanley Johnson, The Sun’s wildlife correspondent, has pledged to leap from planes, bungee-jump and eat kangaroo testicles.
And he will “100 per cent” defend his son on his record as foreign secretary if tested by campmates.
The author, a former Tory MEP, who has climbed Africa’s highest mountain, 19,000ft Mount Kilimanjaro twice in the past five years, said: “I don’t think I would have any problem jumping out of a plane, but I would prefer it if the parachute were to open, that’s obvious.
“I don’t have any worries about my health in the slightest. I am told by the people that organise these things that the Australian health and safety people have a watchful eye and they are very tough.
“I love the idea of a challenge and I love the idea of being in the rainforest for a few weeks and possibly being pushed to the limit. I like that, I am up for it.”
Stanley reckons his upbringing on a farm puts him in good stead for chowing down on insects and animal parts if he is voted by viewers to tackle any Bushtucker trials.
And he insists he isn’t just in the series to make up the numbers, and wants to be crowned Jungle King.
He said: “Witchetty grubs hold no fears for me. I am ready to confront them.
“As for penises and testicles of kangaroos and crocodiles, all I can say is if you were brought up as I have been brought up, on a farm on Exmoor, then you will know that masses and masses of lambs’ fry is what you end up with after you’ve castrated the lambs.
“So I don’t know that a lamb’s testicle is necessarily different from a kangaroo’s testicle. I don’t see why it would cause any particular embarrassment.
“Lambs’ testicles taste a bit like sweetbread, you have them in fancy restaurants.
“The jungle crown is very much worth winning. It would certainly be nice to be one of the three finalists. I think I would settle for that.”
The twice-married dad-of-six admits he has never seen an episode of the show, and doesn’t have “any idea” what it will entail.
Who is Stanley Johnson? Boris’s dad and Conservative politician heading to I’m A Celebrity 2017
But he says he at least knows who fronts it — not that he can tell which is which.
He said: “There are two people and one is called and Ant and one is called Dec. I am pretty sure I have got that right.
“I have seen a photo of them, but which is which? That I am not 100 per cent sure.
“I have been in challenging environments and I have heard, because some of my family have watched it from time to time, that this is a particularly challenging adventure.
“I don’t suppose Ed Balls had watched Strictly Come Dancing before he agreed to do Strictly. I have said yes and I shall be very happy to find out what is going to happen.”
Stanley says he is proud of his son Boris — or Alexander as he calls him — and will stick up for him. He said: “You have no idea how much I will defend him, I will be 100 per cent on his side because I think he is doing a fantastic job.
“But I doubt the people in the camp are going to be spending much time talking about Brexit.
“I think they are going to be spending a lot of time talking about whether it is too hot or too cold or whether they are getting enough to eat or drink.”
BORIS BOTCH-UP A ‘TERRIFIC IDEA’
STANLEY praised his son’s handling of the case of the British mum jailed in Iran – despite Boris’s gaffe having landed her in hot water.
Boris, inset with Stanley, apologised for mistakenly saying Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been teaching journalists.
The Sun told yesterday how Britain is preparing to pay a £450million debt to Iran to help free her.
Stanley said: “I am very glad to hear this has all gone swimmingly. It does seem to me to have been a terrifically good idea. . . because it has now become a diplomatic affair of the first order.
“So out of this kerfuffle maybe some- thing very good will come in terms of UK/Iran relations.”
MOST READ IN I'M A CELEBRITY
