[Red Moon]

Sexism row after Rodney jungle rant

Rodney Marsh - the football pundit who was sacked for making a joke about the Asian tsunami - has stirred up more politically incorrect trouble in the jungle.

Marsh, 63, fuelled a sexism row by saying he would not fly on a plane unless it was piloted by men and that women made too much "fuss" about giving birth.

The ex-Manchester City striker sparked the argument on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! as he recounted his time in the treehouse with PR guru Lynne Franks. He told the others: "She believes in equality of women and that women should be paid as much as men and that women are equal to men."

But he added: "My point was what has a woman ever invented?" Ex-model Janice Dickinson replied: "Marie Curie," referring to the pioneering Nobel Prize-winning physicist and chemist known for her achievements in the field of radioactivity.
Marsh asked her: "What did she invent?" Dickinson replied: "I forget but she invented something."

Marsh said: "All I'm saying is you can't compare women and men if women don't do anything of that level. I mean women are great in other levels.

Newcomer Christopher Biggins told Marsh: "You are so stupid." But Dickinson told Marsh: "I have to agree with you. I don't want to see an American female president - what if she has her period or menopause and she goes 'er er er'."

But ex-Changing Rooms presenter Anna Ryder Richardson warned Marsh: "Do you know how many women's votes you just lost with that chat?"

Marsh then tried to backtrack, insisting: "It's a joke. That's why women have no sense of humour either, that's the thing, it's a joke, I'm only kidding."

Dickinson then found a reason to defend women, saying: "But we give birth." But Marsh provoked more controversy by saying: "Yes you do, and you do it very well. I don't know why you make such a fuss about it but you do. I don't think it can be too painful actually ... You know, when you break your leg playing football that's got to be more painful than giving birth?"

Source: Press Association