Kezia Dugdale, 36, faced widespread criticism for missing work as a member of Parliament in Edinburgh to take part in the lucrative TV show in Australia
Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale pocketed £70,000 for her controversial appearance on I’m a Celebrity.
Ms Dugdale, 36, faced widespread criticism for missing work as a member of Parliament in Edinburgh to take part in the lucrative TV show in Australia.
New Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said he was ‘disappointed’ and fellow MSP Neil Findlay described it as ‘utterly ludicrous’.
But the politician defended her stint in the Jungle – pointing out that she donated £5,100 of her earnings to three charities which work in Scotland.
She took home £45,000 after tax, according to the Register of Members Interests, which details the extra money Holyrood MSPs took home above their ordinary pay packets.
Ms Dugdale said: ‘I’m pleased that a number of charities which do amazing work across Scotland will benefit financially from this. I’m delighted to be back in the Parliament serving my constituents across the Lothians.
‘I held more than 30 surgeries across the region in 2017 and I will continue to be an open and accessible MSP throughout 2018 and beyond.
‘I also look forward to developing a number of campaigns around the Year of Young People in 2018.’
She has donated some of her earnings to Glasgow Women’s Aid, Who Cares Scotland, which works with looked-after youngsters, and The Archie Foundation, which helps sick children, will each benefit from £1,700.
In her Holyrood parliamentary register of interests, Ms Dugdale stated: ‘Between 19 November and 13 December 2017 I took part in the ITV Production ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’.
‘I received a total of between £80,001 and £85,000 in remuneration (which included a fee of £70,000, travel and accommodation and a daily payment whilst not in the camp) from ITV Studios Limited (a television production company of The London Television Centre, Upper Ground, London, SE1 9LT). [Registered 15 December 2017].’
Kezia Dugdale, pictured in the Jungle with Stanley Johnson – a fellow contestant and Boris Johnson’s father – took home £45,000 after tax, according to the Register of Members Interests, which details the extra money Holyrood MSPs took home above their ordinary pay packets
Ms Dugdale sparked controversy by ditching her political work for Bushtucker trials down under.
But she only lasted a short time in the Jungle and became the second celebrity to be voted off the ITV show.
On her exit from the show, the Scottish politican declared she was ‘free at last’, as she insisted to show hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly that she was ‘ready to go’ after 12 days in camp.
Before appearing on the programme, Ms Dugdale donated her £2,500 parliamentary salary for her time in Australia to the Rock Trust, an Edinburgh-based charity.
Overall she has raised a total of nearly £30,000 for charity since 2015.