Earlier this week, it was confirmed that I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! will be returning this year.
The announcement has sparked a flurry of speculation about who might join Ant and Dec in the jungle. Among the names being bandied about are a social media sensation and a TV presenter rumoured to be making a surprise comeback.
I’m A Celebrity first aired on ITV in 2002, with Ant and Dec at the helm since its inception. Tony Blackburn was crowned the winner of the inaugural series, followed by other champions including Kerry Katona, Carol Thatcher, Gino D’Acampo, Matt Willis, Vicky Pattison and Scarlett Moffatt.
When the pandemic forced the show to move to Wales in 2020, Giovanna Fletcher became the first Queen of the Castle, succeeded by Danny Miller as King of the Castle in 2021, reports Chronicle Live.
Jill Scott emerged victorious when I’m A Celeb returned to Australia in 2022, while last year’s jungle crown was claimed by fan favourite Sam Thompson. The new series is part of ITV’s autumn/winter line-up, and the list of potential contestants continues to grow.
Here, we round up the latest rumours….
GK Barry
Social media sensation GK, also known as Grace Keeling, who has already made waves with her UK tour earlier this year, was rumoured to be joining the new series of Strictly Come Dancing. However, after her name was conspicuously absent from the confirmed line-up, speculation is rife that she’s set for a stint in the jungle on I’m A Celebrity 2024.
An insider linked her to the show, saying: “GK is hugely popular with the younger generation and is sharp and quick witted which would translate well to chats around the campfire with other celebs. Producers think she has great energy and is highly entertaining.”
In addition to her successful podcast Saving Grace, GK has been seen braving heights on Channel 4’s Don’t Look Down for Stand Up To Cancer and has appeared as a guest panellist on Loose Women.
Giovanni Pernice
Meanwhile, Giovanni Pernice, who recently left Strictly amidst controversy involving his former celebrity partner Amanda Abbington, is being tipped for a move to ITV’s I’m A Celebrity.
Despite the ongoing scandal, an ITV source stated: “As long as those at the top are satisfied that Giovanni isn’t a bully and didn’t behave inappropriately during Strictly, they will be signing him up. They are very aware of how much Strictly viewers will miss him, he’s a true fans’ favourite, so they hope he will draw in big audiences.”
Giovanni made his first appearance on Strictly in 2015 and reached the final three times before finally clinching the title with Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021.
Phillip Schofield
The presenter was initially linked to I’m A Celeb last year, just a few months after his dramatic departure from This Morning and ITV. Now, Phillip is being tipped to make a comeback on I’m A Celebrity 2024.
Ant and Dec, the show’s hosts and close friends of Phillip, are believed to be instrumental in getting him on board. An insider told The Mirror that Phillip could restore his reputation by heading Down Under, where he will face questions about his affair and its aftermath from his co-stars.
Phillip left This Morning and was subsequently dropped by ITV after confessing to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a much younger staff member on the daytime programme.
Tommy Fury
This rumour is particularly timely, given the recent shock split between Tommy and his fiancee Molly Mae Hague. The boxer has been linked to I’m A Celebrity several times since he rose to TV fame on Love Island in 2019.
A spokesperson for Ladbrokes suggested that Tommy could be headed for the jungle, stating: “Reality TV chiefs will surely be queuing up to snap up Molly-Mae or Tommy following their shock split, and the odds suggest the latter could well be jungle-bound later this year.”
Helen Worth
Another TV star initially linked with Strictly this year, Helen is set to leave her long-standing role as Gail Platt in Coronation Street. The soap’s bosses are keeping mum on her exit storyline, but it’s expected to unfold in the lead up to Christmas, with the scenes already filmed.
This means Helen would be available should she wish to take a trip Down Under.
Tom Daley
Strictly Come Dancing bosses have enlisted Olympic gold medal swimmer Tom Dean this year and diver Tom Daley, who concluded his career at the Paris 2024 games, is now being touted to trade the pool for the jungle camp.
He is at 3/1 to appear on I’m A Celebrity by the end of the year, having already had ITV reality TV experience with his own show Splash in 2013 and 14, where stars like Gemma Collins and Eddie The Eagle learned how to dive.
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! starts back in November.
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