Nigel Havers 'wanted to kill' Lembit Opik on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
Nigel Havers fears he would've killed politician Lembit Opik had he not withdrawn from 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' in 2010.
Nigel Havers thinks he would've killed politician Lembit Opik had he remained on 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'.
The 73-year-old actor withdrew from the popular ITV reality show after nine days of the 2010 series and confessed that he could've harmed the former Liberal Democrat MP if he hadn't left the Australian jungle as he found him so irritating.
Asked why he did the programme, Nigel told The Guardian newspaper: "It was a big mistake. I'd never watched the show, so I had no idea what it entailed.
"You think it looks bad on TV. S***, it was terrible. It was the boredom more than anything.
"There was a bloke called Lembit Opik, the politician. After a couple of days, I wanted to kill him. Had I stayed, I would've killed him and I'd be in prison now. So it seemed like a good idea to leave."
Nigel starred in the 1981 Oscar-winning movie 'Chariots of Fire' and missed out on the chance to meet major Hollywood film producers as he was focused on his TV career in the UK.
The former 'Coronation Street' star said: "We didn't expect to win at the Oscars. Afterwards, we went to these big parties and (producer) David Puttnam said: 'Tomorrow, I want you to meet three film directors...' I said: 'I can't, I've got to go back tomorrow to film 'Jackanory', and flew back, hence why I'm not living in Bel Air."
Havers recently described himself as a "letter-box actor" as he says yes to any script that he is given if it interests him.
He told Woman's Weekly magazine: "I'm what they call a letter-box actor.
"I wait for a script to come through the letterbox, and I do it!"
Nigel's enthusiasm comes from his friend Sir Michael Caine – whom he worked with on the 1986 film 'The Whistle Blower' – as he was advised by the legendary actor that he could regret turning down work in the future.
The star said: "I've been friends with Michael Caine for years, and he always said to me, 'Do anything that comes your way and don't turn anything down because you'll learn from it,' and he's right.
"If something sounds fun, I'll do it.
"Are there things that I've thought afterwards I shouldn't have done? Maybe, but so what? I've had a good time!"
