Why was I’m A Celebrity star Boy George in prison? Sat 5 November 2022 12:58 Kiesha Dosanjh

I’m A Celebrity is back on our screens and back in the jungle for the first time since the pandemic, and this year’s cast has definitely got viewers talking.

Cast member Matt Hancock caused a stir when he was announced as going into the jungle, but he isn’t the only star who has faced controversy in the past.

‘Highest-paid camp mate’ Boy George had controversy of his own when he was sentenced to serve time in prison in 2009.

We’ve seen campmates open up about their personal life in the jungle, and this is not a topic George has shied away from in the past.

This may well be a topic we hear George speak about with his fellow campmates when he heads into the jungle.

Why did Boy George go to prison?

The Guardian reported in January 2009 that Boy George (born George O’Dowd) was sentenced to 15 months in prison for falsely imprisoning a male escort, Audun Carlsen, by handcuffing him to a wall and beating him with a metal chain.

The altercation, which took place in 2007, apparently stemmed from O’Dowd’s belief that Carlsen had attempted to hack into his computer.

Adrian Waterman QC, defending, told the court O’Dowd’s long-term drug use had played a large part in the attack, which he described as “truly bizarre”. He said that O’Dowd had “genuinely believed” that Carlsen had stolen photographs from his computer.

Although sentenced to 15 months, George was granted early release after four months due to good behavior. He wore an ankle monitor for the remainder of his sentence.

Other incidents

The incident which led Boy George to go to prison was not the first time the star had been arrested.

In 2006, the Culture Club frontman called the police to his New York apartment to report a suspected burglary. Officers instead found a stash of cocaine, which led to a month-long community service.

Speaking to Readers Digest on the incidents, George said:

“Of course they are things I am not proud of. Yet at the same time they remind me that I hadn’t shaken off that nihilistic attitude of the past, nor would I ever want to. And every mistake is a positive life lesson… it really is.”

George reflects on his time inside

Although a controversial topic, George has spoken openly about his time in prison with the media.

In an interview with Reader’s Digest, he said: “I always maintained jail would finish me off but it didn’t.

“It was a life-changing experience and I feel I came out of that situation with some wisdom and knowledge. I really don’t view that period in my life as negative… but I wouldn’t want to go back.”

In a video interview with On Demand Entertainment, after his release in 2010, he said he made friends in prison who for him were a real “saving grace.”

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