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A male escort who was chained to the wall and kept prisoner in Boy George‘s London flat has slammed the casting of the singer in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Boy George, 61, first met Audun Carlsen, 43, in 2007 when the Karma Chameleon hitmaker got in touch via a dating site and asked Audun to model items from his clothing range.
They met at George’s flat in Shoreditch, East London where they drank wine and took cocaine but things took an unwanted turn.
Unimpressed: A male escort who was chained to the wall and kept prisoner in Boy George’s London flat has slammed the casting of the singer in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
After returning from the shop, George set upon Audun with another man, claiming the visitor had tried to hack into his computer, beating him and leaving him handcuffed to a wall fixture from which he escaped by wrenching himself free.
Still traumatised by the incident, former escort Audun has hit out at George appearing on I’m A Celebrity, which starts on ITV1 on Sunday.
He told the Mirror: ‘Had I been a woman and he did what he did, he would never have been given the platform. It’s hurtful that big organisations like ITV give him that platform.
Meeting: Boy George, 61, first met Audun Carlsen, 43, in 2007 when the hitmaker got in touch via a dating site and asked Audun for to model items from his clothing range (Audun pictured in 2007)
‘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.’
A representative for 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.
Setting: They met at George’s flat in Shoreditch, East London where they drank wine and took cocaine but things took an unwanted turn when George made a sexual advance (Audun pictured in 2007)
‘Everyone is entitled to a second chance and George has certainly earned it.’
An ITV source told MailOnline: ‘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.’
The Culture Club singer will reportedly earn £500,000 for appearing on the show this year, the highest fee of the 12 stars appearing on the series.
DJ George shackled sex worker Audun to a wall and whipped him with a chain while screaming abuse at him when he had a £400-a-day heroin habit.
Audun, who was aged 28 at the time, was beaten and threatened with a sex toy and fled the property in his underpants, and called police at 6.30am from a nearby newsagents.
Down Under: George was seen arriving for the filming of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in Australia on Friday
George was jailed in 2009 for 15 months after being found guilty of assault and false imprisonment, but was given early release after four months for good behaviour.
Since then, the former heroin addict has turned over a new leaf and celebrated a decade of sobriety in April 2018.
In 2017 Boy George sobbed on TV as he described a ‘psychotic episode’ when he kept Audun prisoner in his flat and how he was attacked in prison for being gay.
He said at the time he had not apologised to his Norwegian victim because it ‘wouldn’t make any difference’.
During an appearance on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, he said: ‘I sent myself to prison. I told the police why I did what I did. In hindsight I was having a psychotic episode. I was a drug addict so I can’t sit here and say my reasons for doing it were founded in any way.
Big bucks: The star is reportedly earning £500,000 for this series of the show, the highest fee of the 12 stars taking part
‘But I told the truth. I said, “This is why I did it. I was having a paranoid episode”. I have always denied beating the guy.’
In Pentonville he was using his real name of George O’Dowd during his 15-month term.
Condemning O’Dowd’s ‘premeditated’, ‘callous’ and drug-fuelled frenzy, which ‘traumatised’ Mr Carlsen, the judge said his victim had been ‘deprived of his liberty and his human dignity’.
He said the offence was ‘so serious that only an immediate sentence of imprisonment can be justified’.
But he did not apologise to his victim at the time, and told Piers: ‘I don’t think it would make any difference. I always felt like not talking about it was dignified.
‘All of it was the drugs. There is no way on God’s earth this would happen if I had not been on drugs.
‘I kind of took responsibility but in my way. It is in my nature to spill my guts. I never really tell lies and sometimes it has worked against me.’
George admits he was probably close to death due to his drug habit at the time but was too high to remember the danger he was in.
His family even appeared on TV to beg him to give up drugs and Richard Branson allowed him the use of his mansion to try going cold turkey.
But it was jail that helped him give up drugs.
He said: ‘When I was in prison a lot of my friends blew me away. But Stephen Fry wrote to me. It was very humbling. The best thing that happened to me was getting sober.’
In jail there was understood to be extra security to protect the former star, who feared being attacked in prison because he is gay.
He landed a £6-a-week job as a kitchen worker serving food to inmates, which is regarded as one of the easier tasks in prison.
George said: ‘I had a few altercations with other prisoners who were homophobic but it was not a shock.
‘I was not scared. I made friends with people. I worked in the kitchen which was great.’
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! FIRST LOOK: Terrified Olivia Attwood JUMPS out of a helicopter while her fellow campmates take on brutal Walk The Plank trial in action-packed launch show
The much-anticipated new series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! returns to Australia with one of the largest and most elaborate entrances to the Jungle camp to date.
In scenes that will air during Sunday’s launch show, ten celebrities will be whisked away from their lives of luxury as their journey to the jungle begins with three terrifying challenges.
Leaving their plush pads and comforts far behind, the 10 celebrity campers will spend up to three weeks taking on a record 24 gruelling trails in the harsh surroundings of the Australian bush.
Back with a bang: The much-anticipated new series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! returns to Australia with one of the largest and most elaborate entrances to the Jungle camp to date
Kicking off the series in style, five celebrities turn up in luxury cars to a stunning waterside villa in the sun-drenched Gold Coast.
Radio Legend Chris Moyles, Love Island’s Olivia Attwood, Journalist Charlene White, Comedian Babatúndé Aléshé and England Lioness Jill Scott all meet and nervously wait for their Jungle journey to begin.
Meanwhile, arriving by boat at a glistening marina was Pop Icon Boy George, Ex-England Rugby Player Mike Tindall, Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver, Property Expert Scarlette Douglas and Hollyoaks star Owen Warner who all met and deliberated what could be happening next.
Hosts Ant and Dec appeared smug as they arrived in style to greet this year’s 10 celebrity campmates.
After the arrival, the celebrities learn that the public have been voting to name Jungle VIPs and who they want to see have the toughest journey into camp and face the first trial.
Scary: In scenes that will air during Sunday’s launch show, ten celebrities will be whisked away from their lives of luxury as their journey to the Jungle begins with three terrifying challenges
Thill-seeker: Olivia looked nervous as her terrifying journey to the jungle begun
Brave: Olivia and Chris face the ultimate skydive entrance as they are forced to jump out of a chopper and into the jungle
Three celebrities, Babatúndé, Jill and Charlene, then travel to the iconic Focus building in Australia’s Surfers Paradise for the infamous plank challenge – with a twist.
Now branded as The Ledge, the campmates must walk to the edge of the plank and once all in position, take a step forward onto the ledge so they are leaning forward and facing down the jaw-dropping 334 foot drop to the ground.
Here they have to hold the position for one full minute. At the end of the 60 seconds they must let go of the rope that supports them and plunge from their perch in order to each win a coveted star.
Comedian Babatúndé was unable to confront his fear of heights and was unable to take part in the Walk The Plank trial which traditionally kicks off the series.
Terrifying: Three celebrities, Babatúndé, Jill and Charlene, then travel to the iconic Focus building in Australia’s Surfers Paradise for the infamous plank challenge
Luxury: A group of celebrities arrived by boat at a glistening marina before taking on the gruelling challenged
Journey: After the arrival, the celebrities learn that the public have been voting to name Jungle VIPs and who they want to see have the toughest journey into camp and face the first trial
Elsewhere, Olivia and Chris face the ultimate skydive entrance as they are forced to jump out of a chopper and into the jungle.
The rest of the campmates, Mike, Sue and Owen, are set to face a boat trip like no other into camp.
The three stars are locked onto the mast of a boat, dubbed the Critter Cruise – with each celebrity having to undertake a challenge to unlock each other.
Mike must get into the water and pop up inside an upturned boat and inside he finds letters that correlate to numbers, leaving him with a code to crack.
Having a laugh: Pop Icon Boy George, Ex-England Rugby Player Mike Tindall, Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver, Property Expert Scarlette Douglas and Hollyoaks star Owen Warner who all met and deliberated what could be happening next
Patiently waiting: Radio Legend Chris Moyles, Love Island’s Olivia Attwood, Journalist Charlene White, Comedian Babatúndé Aléshé and England Lioness Jill Scott all meet and nervously wait for their Jungle journey to begin
Sue’s challenge sees her face the bait shack. Here three hell holes are filled with critters.
Inside, she must search out the fish eyes, ount them up and she’ll earn her code to open her padlock.
Lastly, Owen must take on a pipe that is blocked and is faced to ignore the bugs and grime in order to remove the bolts and unlock the grate.
Bold entrance: Hosts Ant and Dec appeared smug as they arrived in style to greet this year’s 10 celebrity campmates
Lavish: Kicking off the series in style, five celebrities turn up in luxury cars to a stunning waterside villa in the sun-drenched Gold Coast
It was revealed on Tuesday that Matt Hancock is also heading to the Australian jungle as a surprise late arrival.
The MP, who quit as Health Secretary after cheating on his wife during the pandemic with long-term aide Gina Coladangelo, will become the 12th celebrity heading Down Under.
After playing a central role in coordinating the government’s response to Covid, Mr Hancock’s political career has flagged of late, and last week he was snubbed by Rishi Sunak after the new PM dodged his attempt at a greeting outside Tory HQ.
He becomes the latest in a long list of political figures to try their luck on the ITV reality show, including MPs Nadine Dorries and Lembit Opik, and Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley
Looking good: Boy George showed off his bold style in a colourful patterned shirt and trouser co-ord and a cap
Stunning: Olivia looked incredible after undergoing thousands of pounds worth of beauty treatments before arriving in the jungle
Supportive: Boy George and Sue Cleaver walked hand-in-hand on the pier, ready to start the journey together
ITV bosses have confirmed to MailOnline that this year’s show, which returns to Australia for the first time in two years following the global pandemic on Sunday, will be the toughest ever for celebrities – with 24 trials to face in 21 shows.
Speaking from the Australian jungle, executive producer, Olly Nash, said: ‘We are filming more than we’ve ever done before and there will be more elements over more shows.
‘In Wales we couldn’t really do stuff that was outside because of the weather and the big storm but this year we can be outside again.
‘We have more big rigs; we have more big, slimy, dirty trials, and a lot more competitive trials. There are 24 this year and there are 21 shows.
‘On the last day the final three each take on a trial. Cyclone is absolutely back.’
I’m A Celebrity begins on Sunday, November 6 2022 at 9pm with a 105 minute special. It will then air every night of the week and both weekend nights after the launch – all at 9pm.
Dashing: Owen Warner cut a dapper figure in a black shirt and trousers after saying he was ‘looking for love’ in the jungle
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