I'm A Celeb's Fred Sirieix discusses his 'unacceptable behaviour'

Fred Sirieix has spoken out on his dispute with Josie Gibson after viewers accused him of 'misogyny'. 

The First Dates star, 51, became the third campmate to be voted off the show on Tuesday's episode after being embroiled in a 'sexism' row when the role of camp cook was passed on from him to Josie, 38, with viewers claiming he was 'controlling' the This Morning host when she attempted to make dinner. 

While Fred had attempted to defend his in his post-show interview with Ant and Dec, he has now admitted he had to clear the air with his mother, who had scolded him over his 'unacceptable' behaviour. 

Speaking on Wednesday's This Morning, he confessed: 'I spoke to my mum and she said "Frederick" - she calls me that when she's upset - "what did you do with Josie? Why are you telling her what to do?"

'I got a telling off from my mum she said it's unacceptable and she didn't want me to do it again... she was mad!' 

Fred continued: 'In all fairness, the meals Josie cooked were good. 

'She could cook the meal on the day but I was concerned with how she would use and recycle the bones, vegetables and peels so we could make stock and improve the day after.' 

As well as his clashes with Josie, Fred was also caught up in an infamous row with Nella Rose, since dubbed 'Dadgate.'  

The pair's relationship became strained after he remarked 'I could be your dad' during a conversation about their age difference, which promoted a negative reaction from Nella, who lost her father in 2020.

While discussing Fred's comment, Nella explained to the food connoisseur: 'To me, I don't care how you said it, to me, that's disrespectful, and I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to be around you. 

'I only allow people to disrespect me once. Don't bring up my dead parent, are you stupid? 'You know I could be your dad right?' You're a weirdo.'

While there was tension in camp for a few days, the pair ultimately made up and moved on from the incident, but viewers have continued to bring up the scrap. 

Reflecting on the row, Fred said on This Morning: 'It was a misunderstanding, the jungle is a pressure cooker.' 

He went on to hit out at the amount of backlash Nella has received, saying: 'I was very surprised of the hate for Nella.

'It's totally wrong and unfair and it's not in my name. Nella is a lovely girl. Things happen, you move on and I don't know what all the fuss is about.'

Nella, who was interviewed moments before Fred on the ITV daytime show, had echoed his sentiments as she gave her side of the story. 

She explained: 'It was a big fat misunderstanding.

'We've gone over it, everything is cool, everything is blessed, I don't know why everyone's still crying about it.' 

'In the Jungle, everything is intensified. That subject [parents] is very triggering for me because its a fresh wound but everything in the jungle is intense.

'In the jungle the little bit of drama that happens is you EastEnders, I stirred the pot to make things fun, it's just who I am.' 

During his exit interview on Tuesday's I'm A Celeb, Fred touched on his dramas with Josie as he told Ant and Dec: 'She's just making it up as she goes along. So I think there's a lot at stake with the food. 

'And it's not just what you're cooking at the moment which of course is going to be good, because the produce is incredible, it is what you can do the next day with the leftovers of the bones.' 

He continued: 'You really need the calories, and you've got to find them whenever you can. I think we missed out on quiet a few meals [by not recycling ingredients],' he added.

Viewers had been seeing less manners and more 'misogyny' in Fred in recent episodes after his behaviour towards his female co-stars left fans branding him 'unbearable'. 

When asked why he didn't get involved as much with Sam Thompson and Nick Pickard's cooking, he said they were a 'dream' and there was 'no need' for him to do so.

READ MORE: Fred Sirieix causes drama as he ignores camp vote and 'belittles' Sam Thompson 

Fred, also a trained chef, had relentlessly criticised single mother Josie's cooking abilities and during Monday night's episode he told hosts Ant and Dec at a trial: 'There is no method, there is no technique.

'She's just making it up as she goes along. If she just let me take her through it step-by-step clearly, we would be ok.'

Viewers were quick to hit back at Fred and wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: 'Fred Sirieix is controlling and misogynistic. He may be a trained chef but it doesn't mean he has to make everyone feel less than.' 

Josie has been praised online for her calm response when she said: 'You've just got to give me the reins my love, I know it's hard.'

Others online told him to 'back off' from Josie and one person wrote: 'How Josie has not ripped Fred's head off I don't know. How conceited and patronising. Get him out!'

In addition to his clash with Josie, three days into the show YouTuber Nella Rose, 26, and Fred had an argument during which she accused the Maitre'd of 'little-girling' her. 

However, the hint at an unequal dynamic was overlooked because viewers sided with Fred.

Since then the public's opinion of Fred has shifted after his 'sexist' behaviour towards Josie and Nella when camp chores were allocated.

Initially, Nella and Josie were tasked with washing the pots up after Fred cooked the campmates rice and beans.

But the camp descended into chaos when the furious First Dates star threw the already washed pots onto the ground complaining they were 'unclean' and sent the pair back.