ALEX Salmond has turned down an offer to appear on I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here, saying that he would feel remiss were he to take the spot from a more deserving candidate — such as Theresa May.

Returning for a 17th series in December, the reality show had targeted Salmond for a second time.

Despite recently finding himself out of a job — losing his Gordon seat in the Westminster election — the 62-year-old decided to turn down a reported six-figure sum to tackle bushtucker trials.

“I am still a big fan of the show but the answer has to be a reluctant ‘no, thank you,’” the former First Minister said.

In the aftermath of an unpopular deal with the DUP and facing further scrutiny from her own party members, Salmond nominated the current Prime Minister instead.

“I maintain my aversion to creepy crawlies. In any case, I would not wish to take the place of Theresa May, who should be available by October or so.”

Salmond has declined to follow in the footsteps of several notable politicians who, in recent years, have accepted offers to appear on reality television.

In January 2006, George Galloway set both the precedent and the benchmark for politicians’ participation in reality programmes, infamously shocking Celebrity Big Brother viewers across the nation with his feline animalistic outburst.

Since then, the once unthinkable notion of politicians appearing in such programmes has become commonplace — with mixed results.

Conservative politician Nadine Dorries ventured into the Australian wilderness in November 2012, before becoming the first contestant to be voted off that series of I’m a Celebrity. Former Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls fared better on Strictly Come Dancing, managing to last a full 10 weeks.

Salmond, however, remains firmly unenthused by the prospect and will have to find other ways to make ends meet.