"I'm a Green Celebrity": Get out of here...

At last the UK's relative "Greeness" has been explained - we have some millionaire celebrities who champion various environmentally friendly causes. This new evidence ties in nicely with the new series of "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here" that has just started on ITV where ten so-called celebrities live in a jungle for a few weeks eating bugs and crawling around tunnels filled with spiders, rats and toads. Perhaps the most internationally well known is David Gest whose profile states:

He has an extensive career in the merciless music industry, has had his life paraded before the public by many a tabloid and is a close confidante to the one and only Michael Jackson.

But is all this enough to prepare David Gest for a Bush Tucker Trial?

What the hell, he's keen for a holiday!

"I'm going on this vacation because it's what I've always wanted in my life," he revealed before bopping his way onto the Boeing 747.

But whilst David may have enviable connections in the showbiz world, he'll have no one to call on when forced to swap costly crockery for crazed crocodiles, and mouth-watering caviar for kangaroo testicles.

And then there's the lack of silver service. . .

"How am I gonna cope without a maid?" he exclaimed when we pointed all this out.

"There's gotta be someone there that needs a job and some extra money!"

I suspect this is not the type of celebrity the article is referring to:

From the Green Consumer Guide comes the article "Celebs behind green changes, says study".

The UK’s celebrities are one of the major reasons behind a public shift towards environmentally-friendly behaviour in Britain, a newly published study has claimed. The report, commissioned on behalf of recycled toilet tissue producer Nouvelle, found that increasing public awareness on green topics coincides with a growing number of celebrities backing eco-friendly ventures.

The study, conducted by ICM Omnibus, asked respondents to rate themselves on their green consumer activities and compare it to ten years ago. Of those polled, 73% claimed to be ‘passionate or concerned’ about the environment, compared to 45% a decade ago. Just 5% said that they were unconcerned about green issues – a stance backed by celebrity Jeremy Clarkson, according to the study.

Celebrities such as Sting, Bono and Davina McCall were cited in the report as pro-environment role models.

“Today’s celebrity-driven culture is a driving force behind the change in attitudes,” said Christine Clarke, Marketing Director for Nouvelle. “Focus groups have shown us that role model celebrities such as Bono and Jamie Oliver are key in changing consumer behaviour.”

“We are surprised by the rate of change amongst consumers,” added Christine Clarke. “It has accelerated since the environment has been taken up as a ‘fashionable’ cause. Influential personalities such as Davina McCall are putting environmental issues on the map and making them part of everyday life.”

Whilst the cynic might argue that very wealthy rich celebrities can afford to be green anything that can help to "educate" is surely good news. I suppose there may still be a small role left for academics and governments. Now I had better get back to watching reality TV.