Man chained to wall by Boy George slams 'hurtful' I'm a Celeb casting
6 November 2022, 15:18
A man who was chained to the wall and kept prisoner in Boy George's flat has slammed his casting in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
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The 61-year-old first met Audun Carlsen, 43, in 2007 when the star reached out via a dating site, asking him to model for his clothing range.
They met at the singer's flat in Shoreditch, east London, where Mr Carlsen was later detained in an ordeal that led to George being jailed.
Mr Carlsen has said that it’s "hurtful" that the Culture Club singer has since been given "the platform" on I'm a Celeb.
It follows reports that Boy George has become the highest-paid contestant in the history of the reality series.
He is understood to be earning £500,000 for appearing on the show.
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"Had I been a woman and he did what he did, he would never have been given the platform," Mr Carlsen told the Mirror.
"It’s hurtful that big organisations like ITV give him that platform.
"I think giving him this sort of platform and a record fee sends the wrong message to survivors of violence and abuse and is plain wrong."
At the time, Boy George was convicted of assault and false imprisonment, sentenced to 15 months in prison.
He was released after four months for good behaviour.
A representative for Boy George told MailOnline: "George went to jail for four months willingly after openly confessing to false imprisonment during a psychotic break 15 years ago whilst in the midst of a well documented drug problem.
"Not only has he been a pillar of society ever since, but he also remains sober to this day.
"He apologised publicly on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories four years ago and we are very proud of him for his rehabilitation.
"Everyone is entitled to a second chance and George has certainly earned it."
An ITV source told the site: "This is a historic, spent conviction dating back 12 years and Boy George has appeared on major TV networks globally on numerous occasions over the last decade, including as a coach for The Voice UK on the BBC and The Voice Australia."
