Using hashtags "hopethiswashesoff" and "Africa" and positioning themselves among fern leaves, the photo is captioned: "in honor of our bestie [Belinda Morters] running 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.'"
Belinda Morter is a producer on Channel 10's reality show, 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here'. The first episode was jungle-themed.
The photo was published in February but has only gained attention now after journalism student Ahmed Yussuf on Sunday publicly exposed Ingerson's picture on Twitter, expressing deep disappointment.
Ingerson responded saying, "It was an African costume party," accompanied by the hashtag "#notracistatall".
Yussuf responded with: “But that’s the thing, costume party. As being black is a costume to put on. We are not props.”
Yussuf, who is studying at LaTrobe University, previously worked as an intern at the same media organisation as Ingerson. Fairfax media reported that Yussuf initially thought to keep the incident quiet in case it would jeopardise future opportunities. But ultimately he considered it was in the public's interest to expose it.
Australia’s online community has condemned the post on the social media platform.
One person going by the handle @gr33nrust wrote “wait, this is 2015 and you didn’t realize blackface would be offensive?”
Amnesty International’s Amelia Freelander has also taken notice: “seriously?! Ignorance at the very least. How can you be that naïve?”
The ‘blackface’ issue has come up frequently in recent times with Australia's fair share of personalities becoming embroiled.
Up-and-coming model Samantha Robinson, 18, last year posted a photo of herself with the caption “happy birfday Lilly Wayne” using the “Westside” rap hand gesture sitting next to a man in blackface posing as American rap artist Lil Wayne.
Robinson responded to the outrage by saying, “If painting yourself black is racist against black people, then painting yourself blue is racist against Avatars”.
NITV has contacted Ingerson via Twitter and is awaiting a response.
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