I'm A Celebrity had tasks involving insects, snakes and rodents

The charity has noted a spate of deliberate violence and "shocking cruelty" to animals in recent weeks.

It said shows like I'm A Celebrity, in which stars ate live insects, may have desensitised attitudes to animals.

Chef Antony Worrall Thompson, who was on the ITV1 show, said this was "nonsense". The show's maker Granada said no animals had been mistreated.

"I don't know if there's a scientific connection and I don't know if we can prove a connection," said Jackie Ballard, Director General of the RSPCA.

"But what we do know is that over the last few weeks we have seen unprecedented acts of deliberate cruelty towards animals.

"We're used to seeing nasty cases of cruelty, but this is of a different order."

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ITV1's Survivor introduced insect-eating challenges in 2001, where competitors had to eat live grubs. In series two a year later live crabs, locusts, beetles, and fish eyeballs were on the menu.

The most recent series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here saw stars including ex-footballer John Fashanu enduring tasks involving crayfish, cockroaches, rats, snakes, eels and crickets.

Ms Ballard criticised such shows for thereby implying it was acceptable to use animals solely as "playthings" or for entertainment.

"For example, there's one show where live insects are eaten by the contestants," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We think that both demeans the animals, but also desensitises people...

Grub eating

"People watch that and think, well, if these celebrities will eat live insects perhaps these insects don't feel pain, perhaps it doesn't matter. It's a process of desensitisation."

Mr Worrall Thompson told Today he had eaten some insects during practice for the show - but said the idea that eating creatures like witchetty grubs could lead to animal cruelty was "nonsense".

People think, well, if these celebrities will eat live insects perhaps these insects don't feel pain, perhaps it doesn't matter - it's a process of desensitisation Jackie Ballard, RSPCA

"You've got to look at the fact that those are actually sold in restaurants, maybe cooked, but they're witchetty grubs," he said.

Anyone genuinely trying to survive in a jungle would certainly be eating uncooked grubs or insects, he added.

"OK, it's a show, but I think you've got to go on what public perception is, really.

"The public perception of you eating a creepy crawly is not a major problem. People have been doing that to survive since the day we came out of the swamp."

Public complaints

Granada, which makes the show, said: "Granada takes every precaution to ensure that animals are not hurt in the making of our programmes.

The public perception of you eating a creepy crawly is not a major problem Antony Worrall Thompson Jungle show 'not cruel' to wildlife

"We worked closely with the Australian RSPCA on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here for the bushtucker trials and had expert animal handlers on site for each task.

"Granada does not condone cruelty to animals."

The RSPCA said the recent attacks were typical of a broader increase in animal cruelty which last year saw 57 people receive prison sentences in cases brought by the charity, up from 46 the previous year.

It urged the public to respect animals and report abusers.

Fifty viewers contacted standards body the ITC to complain about cruelty in this year's I'm A Celebrity.

But it was given the all-clear after programme-makers explained that professional animal handlers were present on site and animal welfare organisations had been consulted.