I’m A Celebrity’s Jack Maynard opens up to The Sun over racist and homophobic tweets and propositioning 14-year-old girl
AXED I’m A Celebrity campmate Jack Maynard has revealed his shame over propositioning a 14-year-old, joking about rape and using racist and gay slurs – branding himself an “idiot”.
The YouTuber was removed from the hit ITV show after just 72 hours amid a string of revelations about his behaviour online when he was a teenager.
In an emotional exclusive interview, the 22-year-old admitted his behaviour was “absolutely disgraceful”.
He said: “There’s absolutely no excuse for what I said. I don’t know what I was thinking in ever posting anything like that online.
“I am truly, truly, truly sorry about all of the past comments I made.
“They’re totally unacceptable and I’m praying that people learn from this and don’t make the same mistakes that I did — really think about what you’re going to do and how many people it could hurt.”
A day after Jack entered the Australian jungle, The Sun revealed he had casually used the N-word, mocked people with facial disfigurements and used gay slurs in a string of tweets.
In February 2013, he wrote: “Hahaha shutup you f****t. By the way, who hit you with a shovel?”
Jack insists he is “certainly not homophobic”, explaining: “I’m straight but don’t have a problem with anyone.
“I don’t have a problem with any sexuality whatsoever. I’ve got lots of gay friends and absolutely love them.”
On his use of the gay slur, he added: “Sadly, this was in an argument with someone I knew from back home that just got very out of hand.
“The person wasn’t gay, it was just a really careless insult. I wasn’t thinking about what I was saying, I was just retaliating in a really, really horrible way.
“It’s a disgusting word and I’m disgusted with myself for even using it. I’d never, ever use that word now to describe someone, to insult someone.
“Hopefully people who are fans of me especially learn from it and never ever use that word — it can make people feel horrible because it is a disgusting word.”
Jack, who has more than 1.2million YouTube subscribers and was the first ever vlogger to enter the jungle, also deeply regrets using the N-word.
He said: “I wish I had taken a step back and thought about the history of that word and how much hurt it has brought to so many people.
“I certainly wouldn’t have done it. It’s just such a shame through pop culture that the word has become too familiar through songs, which by no means makes it acceptable to say, which I’ve definitely learnt.”
Even my mum hated me at 16 years old
Jack Maynard reflecting on his time as teen
Jack’s jungle exit came on the back of a 14-year-old female fan revealing he had told her to send him nude pictures when he was 16.
Jack messaged the schoolgirl on Facebook, asking to “see her boobs” and told her she’d look good in a “bra shot”.
He then branded her a “bore” and an “ugly freak” when she refused to send him pictures.
Jack said: “I was 16 at the time, I wasn’t aware that she was 14. We had some flirty messages between me and her which got out of hand. What I said to her was disgusting and very, very unfair.
“I totally do respect all women. Yeah, I’m disgusted and yeah , speaking about some of that makes me feel miserable.
“This isn’t an uncommon conversation for a 16-year-old to have, it just got out of hand.”
To add insult to injury, it was then revealed that Jack had joked about rape in a Twitter post in November 2011, which read: “If you get me to 1,500 followers by tomorrow . . . I will kiss you . . . Most likely rape you though.”
He later posted: “I raped her . . . ha ha” in what he concedes was a “careless joke” gone very wrong.
Jack said: “You shouldn’t even joke about that, ever. I know how much hurt and pain that has caused some people and families, and how many horrible situations rape has obviously put people in.
“It’s not a joking matter whatsoever and all I can really do is hold my hands up and apologise.
“I remember when I saw that the tweet had come out and it just made me feel really sick that I’d ever even tried to joke about something like that serious.
“I didn’t mean for it to upset anyone. I wasn’t thinking and wasn’t aware of how many people I could hurt by making a joke like that.”
During his time on the show, naked pictures Jack had taken of himself were leaked online, prompting his team to take legal action.
He said: “I was mortified. I was so embarrassed. They were sent between me and someone, in private, in confidence.
“Sadly, I guess there wasn’t much trust there and now they’re out there for everyone to see. It was very embarrassing.”
After leaving the jungle, Jack was left alone to come to terms with the consequences of his behaviour.
He recalled: “I was very upset. I broke down in the hotel once I’d got out. It all kind of hit me. I was just on my own in the room. My phone had blown up from all my friends and family getting in touch.”
Jack had been in a romance with Love Island and ex-Page 3 girl Danielle Sellers, but insists they were not in a formal relationship when he went into the jungle.
He said: “We’re great friends and had a great relationship, we were never exclusive to each other. We were very close.
“There’s no bad blood between us, there was no kind of horrible break-up or anything like that. I wish nothing but the best for her.”
Jack deleted his shameful tweets a year before I’m A Celeb but had not discussed them with ITV bosses.
He explained: “It was just in the back of my mind, as I’d deleted them.
"I always knew that going on a show like this — the biggest show in the country — that there was always going to be a chance that things could resurface.”
When Jack was told what had happened and then removed from the jungle, he was “absolutely devastated” and “gutted”.
He added: “I was so upset with myself and knew I needed to get home ASAP and apologise. I knew it was so unacceptable.”
While Jack has lost up to £20,000 a month from high street brands including The Body Shop, Walkers and Snickers, he believes that now he has publicly apologised he can resume his career.
And he hopes his story provides a stark warning to today’s teenagers who live their lives online.
He said: “You’ve really got to think about everything you’re posting online — it leaves such a footprint, it’s there for ever if you say it online.
“I deleted my tweets and they still come up. If I can be used as an example and people can learn from my mistakes, then great.
“Everyone’s just got to sit back and think about everything that they’re going to be saying online, not just be in the moment and say something that ultimately they will regret, possibly for the rest of their life.”
Jack insists his behaviour has been left well and truly in the past, saying: “I’ve grown up — 16-year-old Jack doesn’t exist any more.
“I was just at a really stupid age, even my mum said she hated 16-year-old Jack. That was clearly a horrible person.
“I’ve just got to carry on growing and keep learning and hopefully teaching everyone else not to make the same mistakes.”