KEZIA Dugdale believes Jeremy Corbyn will be “more than happy” to see her appear on the ITV show I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!, despite having faced criticism from within her own ranks.
But in an interview with the broadcaster, teasing her first appearance in the jungle, the former Labour leader seemed to have a dig at former colleagues when she said she was used to “dealing with rats and snakes”.
She added: “I’ve never had to deal with creepy crawlies before ... I ran upstairs when I saw a spider the other day and I’ve got a big fear of birds that stems from when I saw a scary picture of a pigeon as a toddler.”
Dugdale said she thought the UK Labour leader would be “pretty relaxed” about her being on the show.
She added: “I think he will have a good laugh at my expense. I think he will be more than happy to see me do it.”
The Lothians MSP said she expected some people in the party would not be happy about her taking part.
“They will be angry because they will say I should be doing my day job and I am going to be away. I understand that anger.”
Richard Leonard, the new Labour leader, has claimed his predecessor was refused permission to take part in the reality TV show.
But Dugdale said she only told her partner and her office manager about taking part, and had told Leonard and his rival Anas Sarwar she was “going abroad for three weeks to work”.
“They were both cool with that. I will be back for the budget in December,” she added.
She said she was inspired to take part following the death of her close friend and former Labour researcher Gordon Aikman in February.
“He taught me so much about how important it is to live your life well and never let an opportunity go by. I am doing this with that ethos in mind.”
She also said her appearance fee for the show was not “in any sense small” and that a “portion” of it, as well as the £2,500 she will earn as an MSP over the next three weeks, will go to the Rock Trust. The charity supports young people at risk of homelessness in Edinburgh.
Over the weekend, Labour MSP Neil Findlay accused her of demeaning the parliament and many of his colleagues seemed to agree.
On Tuesday the party decided not to kick her out, but she will be quizzed when she gets back.
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