Ant and Dec have been urged to quit I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! as the latest series of the hit ITV show gets underway.

Boy George, Mike Tindall and Charlene White were among the celebrities to join this year’s cast which began on Sunday night.

Geordie duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have fronted the show for more than 20 years which sees celebrities camp out in the Australian jungle among rats, snakes and spiders.

The infamous Bushtucker Trials also involve jungle critters often eaten alive by celebrities in trials.

Animal rights charity PETA sent an open letter to Ant, 46, and Dec, 47, calling on the pair to quit the show

PETA's Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen, has penned a letter accusing Ant and Dec of being "complicit in cruelty to animals".

The letter reads: "For 20 years, you have been complicit in the 'bushtucker trials', standing by as animals of all descriptions are tormented – and even killed – for TV ratings.

"In this time, you must surely have become aware of the suffering, discomfort, and fear that these unwilling participants endure during the challenges. Ostriches, crocodiles, snakes, rats, and thousands of insects have been exploited for the show’s puerile pranks – and we fear that the upcoming series will be no different."

The letter then urges the pair to make the upcoming All Stars series their last to “signal to the show’s producers that people aren’t going to stand for senseless cruelty to animals anymore and that it’s time to change".

PETA's letter said their petition calling on ITV bosses to "stop abusing animals" on I'm A Celeb as received more than 50,000 signatures.