Nadine Dorries is right to go on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here. I'd do it again in a shot if they asked

As the firebrand Tory MP has the whip withdrawn from her Sir George Young, one former contestant reminds us that she's doing it for charity, not personal gain

If I was asked to go back on I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here, I’d do it like a shot, and other people who have been on it say the same.

Just think about it – no emails, no phone calls, very few interviews, a great diet and detox. Rich people pay for that kind of thing, but you’re paid to do it.

I am sure that Nadine Dorries believes that this is a way of getting her political message across. Her difficulty is that she is completely at the mercy of the editors, so she can talk politics but she can’t be sure any of it will be broadcast. I spent four or five hours a day talking philosophy with Shaun Ryder, but not one minute was broadcast, because it would not attract advertising. But Nadine Dorries is one of those people with such a strong character that she will be able to use her appearance to improve the somewhat tarnished image of politicians.

I think people who are saying she should not draw her parliamentary salary while she is on the programme are being churlish. It’s unlikely that she is doing it for the money. She doesn’t need the money. I think she is attracted by the opportunity. People who criticise her over that are finding ways to slam her for being in the jungle. Perhaps they are jealous.

It’s worth remembering that she is raising money for charity, and that saves lives. Not one person who has criticised Nadine Dorries has mentioned that fact.