KEZIA Dugdale has defended her decision to appear on I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! saying she will donate her MSP’s salary to charity while she is in the jungle.

The MSP for Lothian admits her decision to appear on the show was “controversial”, but insisted it would not clash with her parliamentary duties. 

She said: “Raising money for charity is part of the reason I’m doing this. This isn’t a second job, this is three weeks out of my work, because I’ve given my salary away.”

She added: “The minute I get back I am going to go straight from the airport into the parliament and vote.

“There are no major pieces of legislation that I am going to miss in the three weeks that I am here. I will be back in time to vote in the budget and I will face my constituents then."

Ms Dudgale touched down by helicopter close to the rainforest set of the STV  reality programme yesterday.

The former Scottish Labour leader is primed to join the contestants, who include Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s father Stanley.

Ms Dugdale said she will give her parliamentary salary to the Rock Trust homeless charity while she is away.