Ant and Dec compare 'hostile' outback to Sunderland during I'm A Celebrity return

Ant and Dec returned to screens on Sunday.
I'm a Celebrity presenters Ant and Dec returned to screens on Sunday night. Credit: ITV

Ant and Dec opened the new series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! by taking a swipe at Sunderland.

The Geordie duo took just minutes to take aim at Sunderland, likening the outback to the city.

Ant McPartlin said: "In case you're not familiar with the Australian outback, it's a barren, deeply hostile environment that's barely fit for human habitation."

Declan Donnelly added: "Imagine Sunderland but hotter."

The jibe was mostly met with good humour on social media, with self-confessed Mackems calling it typical Newcastle and Sunderland 'banter.'

However, some said it was as though the pair had forgotten their native roots.

Last year saw former footballer and Queen of the Jungle Jill Scott, from Sunderland, bear the brunt of the presenters' jokes.

I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! continues on ITV1 and ITVX.

The line-up includes politician Nigel Farage, Jamie Lynn Spears, the sister of pop star Britney, and This Morning host Josie Gibson.

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