Amir Khan’s appearance in I’m a Celebrity is being discussed by ITV bosses after he failed a doping test and was banned from boxing.
UK Anti-Doping announced the 36-year-old had returned a positive result for the anabolic agent ostarine following his knockout loss to rival Kell Brook in Manchester last year.
The former light-welterweight world champion has now retired but would be unable to continue boxing even if he wanted to due to the two-year ban imposed.
It was revealed that Khan would be returning to the jungle in I’m a Celebrity All Stars in South Africa earlier this month.
The show has already been recorded and will be shown in the coming weeks but it is understood ITV chiefs will comb through the edit of the series.
They want to ensure there is nothing about Amir’s appearance that would make for awkward viewing, and to see whether anything needs changing in the light of the boxer’s embarrassing news.
One TV insider said: “This news will have led to discussions internally, it may mean he is featured slightly less prominently or a conversation around camp is now more relevant or revealing. But it really depends a lot on what happened in the jungle. The timing of news of this ban is not ideal for ITV.”
Khan, who announced his retirement in May last year, accepted a violation of anti-doping rules but said he had not intentionally ingested the substance, which is designed to help build muscle.
An independent panel accepted this after a hearing in January.
Reacting to the verdict, Khan said: “I’ve never cheated. Also, the amount that was in my system could have been by shaking people’s hands.”
He insists he has no comeback plans but the ban is a sad full stop on a career that included an Olympic medal and WBA and IBF world titles.
ITV declined to comment on the news of Amir’s doping ban but a source told the Mirror: “I don’t think this will have much effect on the series.”
Stars appearing alongside Khan in the new series include Janice Dickinson, Fatima Whitbread, Paul Burrell, Helen Flanagan and Carol Vorderman.
Ant and Dec host as usual.
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