WHAT on earth possessed Martina Navratilova to go into the jungle for TV’s “I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here!”?

The latest series, which places celebs in the Australian outback to face a series of harrowing (for the eels and insects involved) “bushtucker trials”, began at the weekend and the 52-year-old tennis icon is hotly tipped to win it.

That is no great surprise because the woman is remarkable.

She won the Wimbledon women’s singles’ title nine times among 20 titles there overall, plus 18 Grand Slam singles titles.

It’s easy to forget that she left her native Czechoslovakia at 18 and was a major critic of Soviet Communism. A long-term civil rights’ campaigner, she came out as gay in 1981 when the social climate was not nearly as open as it is today, and is still admired by many for her genuine achievements.

Alongside the WAGS, the ex-Star Trekkies and the self-promoters, she is from a different plant.

The only other contestant worth a glance is Esther Rantzen, and I can’t imagine why she’s doing it either.

It’s nasty and self-serving, and tends to bring out the worst bear-baiting instincts in the general public.

Unfortunately, it gets consistently good ratings because viewers apparently love the spectacle.

I just hope that Martina stays true to her self, and shows the series up for the tawdry “entertainment” it is.