Gino D’Acampo this years winner of I’m A Celebrity’s King Of The Jungle! may face charges of animal cruelty, after he killed a rat and cooked it for his fellow camp mates.

According to The Guardian, RSPCA investigators quizzed Gino – and camp buddy Stuart Manning -  about the death of the rodent which was beheaded with a kitchen knife to make dinner.

‘The killing of a rat for a performance is not acceptable. The concern is this was done purely for the cameras,’ Chief Inspector David Oshannessy, from the RSPCA in New South Wales, tells the BBC.

‘Police from Murwillumbah yesterday issued field court attendance notices to two men aged 30 and 33 for the offence of animal cruelty,’ a spokesman confirmed.

‘They are due to attend court at Murwillumbah local court on 3 February 2010.’

A show insider told The News Of The World: “There were rats used for the Bushtucker Trials and they were as tame as hamsters. They were used to human contact and not afraid like wild ones who would run away. The killing made for dramatic TV. But it’s likely the animal was one of the trial rats.

“It raises question marks about the show. What celebrity is going to risk appearing if they face getting nicked at the end of it.”

An ITV spokesperson said: ‘The Australian RSPCA are currently investigating an incident that a rat was killed in the camp.’

Reality Show Contestants May Be Charged With Animal Cruelty After Cooking Rats