Kezia Dugdale reveals fee from I’m a Celebrity, and how much of it she gave to charity

Kezia Dugdale was paid over £80,000 for appearing on the reality TV show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, it has been revealed.

According to the MSPs register of interests, the former Labour leader was paid a £70,000 fee for her appearance on the show, with further payments for travel, accommodation and a daily payment while she stayed in Australia after being evicted from the show bringing the total to “between £80,001 and £85,000”.

Dugdale said she paid tax on the earnings in both Australia and the UK, meaning she earned around £45,000 after tax.

From that, £5,100 has been donated to Who Cares? Scotland, Glasgow Women’s Aid and the Archie Foundation, the MSP has said.

This is on top of a £2,500 donation to Edinburgh-based charity the Rock Trust from her MSP salary while she was absent from parliament.

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.”

Dugdale was heavily criticised for her decision to take part in the television event, including from within her own party.

During her time on the show, she was made to live in a jungle camp with other celebrities including former footballers and soap opera actors. She was picked to perform ‘Bushtucker trails’ which included sifting through raw fish guts.

She has since been appointed to the Scottish Parliament’s corporate body, which ensures the institution operates effectively.