Viewers of I’m A Celebrity upset as they question the real reasons behind Maura Higgins and Barry McGuigan’s surprise elimination, calling it unfair.

Irish viewers of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! are not happy they can’t vote in the show after Irish stars Maura Higgins and Barry McGuigan were eliminated on Thursday.

The former boxer, 63, and the Love Island star, 34, became the fifth and sixth person given the boot from camp in a double elimination.

I’m A Celebrity airs in the Republic of Ireland – and has done since the show began in 2004 – but viewers living there are not able to vote.

Some fans took to X to express their displeasure at the voting result and insisted both Maura and Barry would’ve survived if their Irish fans could vote for them. 

They wrote: ‘It’s actually a joke that Irish viewers can’t vote’… ‘This wouldn’t be happeing if Ireland could vote.’ 

‘What’s the deal with the Irish not being able to vote on I’m A Celebrity! It’s 2024 you have Irish contestants let us vote.’

‘This wouldn’t happen if Ireland could vote’… ‘WTF the only two Irish people left it’s so unfair that Ireland can’t vote.’

‘Two Irish celebrities in the jungle, yet no one in Ireland can vote. Inevitably the two Irish are voted out!’ 

‘Petition for the country of Ireland to be allowed to vote because this is ridiculous.’ 

It comes after Maura’s mother Sharon Higgins appeared on a recent episode of Lorraine to discuss her daughter’s appearance in the jungle.

Sharon, who lives in County Longford in Ireland, told how she had been inundated with messages from friends and family asking how they could vote for Maura.

She said: ‘And I know there are so many people who have DM’d me asking ‘How can we vote?’ but we can’t. 

‘It’s not open to the Republic of Ireland unfortunately and you know it puts her on the back foot that way because she has a lot of support here.’ 

Maura was met by her friend Talia off the bridge because Sharon was unable to make the 22-hour flight Down Under.

Admitting she had a ‘gut feeling’ she would go, Maura told Ant and Dec in her exit interview: ‘I’m really happy. I said it this morning it’s my time, I had a gut feeling and they’re never wrong.

‘I didn’t think I would embrace it as much as i have and I loved every single second. It’s mad how it changes you.’

Sharing her love for the Richard Coles she revealed he is her winner as she continued: ‘I absolutely love Reverend Coles, he is so hilarious the things he comes out with shocks me and I don’t get shocked much’

The star added: ‘One thing I said when I came in was I do not want to say “I’m a Celebrity Ge tme out of here” and I still don’t know how I did that trial with spiders. I’m much tougher than I ever thought.’   

Barry was reunited with his wife of 40 years, Sandra, after two weeks in the Australian jungle as she met him off the bridge.

Speaking with hosts Ant and Dec he said: ‘I’m the original cyclone, so I’m disappointed that I’m not slipping and looking like a clown in it. 

‘The Jungle was much tougher than I expected, the food was the toughest part, everything tasted bland and ridiculous.’

The boxing legend also opened up on his sweet bond with McFly’s Danny Jones, as he added: ‘I think he’s going to be the King, he’s a great fella. We have a lot in common because my dad was a musician and I loved his creativity.’

Maura and Barry were given quite the warm welcome on Thursday as they arrived back at the hotel in Surfers Paradise, Australia by their fellow eliminated campmates. 

One notable absence was that of Tulisa Contostavlos, who snubbed the I’m A Celebrity final and has arrived back home in the UK a week early after becoming the third campmate to be voted off the show on Monday.

It’s custom for all the cast to be present at the show’s final to congratulate the final three contestants but it can be confirmed the NDubz star, 36, was not there as she has returned home to Manchester.

It comes after the former X-Factor had a bust-up in the hotel after she was evicted from the show with her best friends, Michelle McKenna and her boyfriend, Daniel Johnson.

Despite her absence, her fellow I’m A Celebrity stars still managed to lay on a warm welcome for Maura and Barry as they made their way back to civilised society following weeks of jungle life.