Jack Maynard has apologised for repeatedly using the N-word and homophobic slurs in tweets posted between 2011-2013.
But Lorraine Kelly branded the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! star, 22, as an ‘idiot’ following the first episode of the ITV reality show.
On Monday’s episode of Lorraine, the 57-year-old host insisted if the shocking social media posts were ‘unacceptable’ back then then they were ‘unacceptable now’.
‘What an idiot’: Lorraine Kelly slammed I’m A Celebrity’s Jack Maynard for using N-word and homophobic slurs in tweets dating six years ago
Discussing the tweets on Lorraine, the television sensation said: ‘What an idiot, what an idiot! You are right it does come back and bite you on the bum if you write something. If it was unacceptable then, it’s unacceptable now.’
The tweets, obtained by The Sun, show Jack using the racist term ‘n*****’, as well as calling fellow social media users by the homophobic slur ‘f*****’ and ‘retarded’.
Jack’s representatives have insisted the successful vlogger, who has secured his biggest career move to date with I’m A Celebrity, was ‘ashamed’.
‘He is ashamed’: Jack, 22, has apologised for repeatedly using the N-word and homophobic slurs in tweets posted between 2011-2013
Shocked: On Monday’s episode of Lorraine, the 57-year-old host insisted if the shocking social media posts were ‘unacceptable’ back then then they were ‘unacceptable now’
Revealed: Speaking about the tweets on Lorraine, ‘What an idiot?…If it was unacceptable then, it’s unacceptable now’
The Sun reported that Jack posted photos of people with facial deformities with comments such as ‘in his prime’ and ‘Ahahahaha! Sooo funny!’
Jack told MailOnline the reality star was apologetic and ashamed of his actions.
The statement read: ‘Jack is ashamed of what he said in these tweets, many of which were deleted a long time ago and were sent in response to a neighbour who was bullying him.
‘Jack was a lot younger when he posted them in 2012 but realises that age is no defence.
Apology: The tweets show the 22-year-old star casually using the racist term n*****, as well as calling fellow social media users by the homophobic slur f***** and ‘retarded’
‘Ashamed’: A spokeswoman for Jack told MailOnline the reality star was apologetic and ashamed of his actions, saying: ‘Jack is ashamed of what he said in these tweets, many of which were deleted a long time ago and were sent in response to a neighbour who was bullying him
‘He would never use that language now and realises that, as someone who was bullied himself, this kind of retaliatory, inflammatory, insulting language is completely unacceptable.’
An ITV spokeswoman told the website: ‘Jack has issued a full apology and has deleted the tweets that he sent.’
Boasting a whopping 1,195,687 subscribers, Jack is the first vlogger to enter the celebrity jungle.
Delete: An ITV spokeswoman told the website: ‘Jack has issued a full apology and has deleted the tweets that he sent’
Siblings: Jack is the younger brother of singer Conor Maynard (seen above in 2016)