I'm A Celebrity viewers divided after shock camp development: 'Cruel reminder'

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! fans were left angry this week when the show announced they would be splitting the camp and making it men versus women. Some viewers said they would stop watching the show after saying it "wrecked the show" when they split the camp up last year.

"I hate hate hate the separation of camp and the anxiety it causes!" one person said. And after a few days, the division was really getting to the camp.

Gender divide causes tension in I'm A Celebrity camp

On Wednesday night, the men won two challenges, leaving the women to once again eat rice and beans while the boys had a nice dinner.

After losing the second challenge, Tina Provis was left in tears, saying, "I'm just over doing it, we keep doing it and getting nothing."

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Earlier in the day, Tina had done an eating challenge, making the loss even harder to take, "I feel like I did so much today and it meant nothing. I don't want to do it anymore," she said.

"I get that it's all part of the challenge, but it's bulls**t, it really is," Geraldine Hickey said. "And it's just like every day of our lives that we have to compete against men, and to come in here and have to do it on a whole new level, it's really hard."

"But we know it's going to be fine, tomorrow's a new day, we don't know what's going to happen, we know we can have a sweet treat when we get out. But right now, it does feel f***ing horrible. It's just a cruel reminder of all the times that men have gotten stuff from us in the real world."

Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes told the women that "it was really awkward" for the men to win, while Matty J asked how they could better support the women.

Geraldine responded, "Sorry, but you guys will just have to feel awkward, and we'll just have to feel s**t. And that's just the game."

In a piece to camera, Max Balegde said, "This is not just about the games that we're playing in here. This speaks on a wider issue that each of these women have had to deal with at some point in their lives. Whether it's in school, whether it's in their careers, or whether it's in the jungle.

"And hearing somebody like Geraldine speak about that, even if it is in the context of a silly game, I think it's important. So, I just had so much respect for her."

Tina added, "As a woman there lots of things that are happening that men aren't up against, and I think it will ring true for a lot of women in here, you know, we all have a story."

"That's what makes it so hard, because you do love them and you want them to do well, but also, what about me," Geraldine asked.

Sigrid Thornton added that it was a "complicated" issue because the men in the camp are "incredibly empathic towards the women".

At the end of the episode, hosts Julia Morris and Robert Irwin announced the split camp was no more, much to the celebration of everyone in camp.

I'm A Celebrity hosts Robert Irwin and Julia Morris weigh in

Robert and Julia also weighed in on the discussion, with Robert saying that while men often don't know where to start, "A good first step is just to listen."

Julia responded, "Good men don’t know what to do, bad men are knuckles anyway, and the vile people still have a really loud voice."

"I can tell you why the women are angry: 30% less wages, disrespect, scared, not allowed to jog after 6pm," she added. "There’s lots of things we’ve got the dirts about unfortunately, and one by one we are letting it rip. And why shouldn’t we?"

I'm A Celebrity fans divided after equality talks

The conversation was an important one, and viewers loved seeing it play out onscreen, with one writing on Instagram, "The conversation just now about equality is the EXACT conversation all media outlets need to be having. Was SO good to hear it on mainstream media and it was honest and pointed but realistic. Stoked my daughters got to hear such an important conversation!"

"Couldn’t agree more!" another said. "So glad the team thing is over!"

"Loved @max_balegde‘s response to what Geraldine said, such sweet empathy!" a third added.

"Geraldine delivered that perfectly she wasn't having a go she was being honest in a really calm way she didn't throw her toys out of the cot and stamp her feet," someone else said. "Love her."

"If they were gonna split the camp into teams, they should’ve just drawn names out of a hat!" another wrote. "The whole 'battle of the sexes' is an outdated concept!"

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"Good on you Geraldine for speaking the truth," one viewer said. "And you too Julia. Women are sick of the inequality. It's everywhere work, schools, sports, wages."

Some weren't in favour, however, with one person writing, "The girls lost. Stop making the guys feel bad for winning fair and square. This whole conversation is such garbage. It's a game and I'm sure if the girls won they would have loved it.

"The guys did nothing wrong. Why should they be made to feel like they are the bad guys."

Others claimed it was 'insulting' to the men in the camp.

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