The first series of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa will see some of the most memorable campmates who survived the Australian jungle return to battle it out in the South African bush.
The pre-recorded season features an all-star cast of celebrities who previously appeared on the original version of the show, hoping to be crowned the first ever I’m A Celebrity Legend – a departure from the traditional King or Queen title of the past 22 years.
Geordie presenting duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly also return to host the spin-off show, while a list of rumoured late arrivals includes Joe Swash, Gillian McKeith, Dean Gaffney, Georgia Toffolo, Andy Whyment and Myleene Klass.
Ahead of Monday’s first show, we look at who is making a comeback to the Jungle to face their fears...
AMIR KHAN
The 36-year-old boxing champion first starred on IAC back in 2017 on the show’s 17th season. Although he wasn’t crowned King of Jungle that year, he did finish up in fifth place and managed to overcome his fear of spiders, snakes and heights during the Bushtucker Trials.
The sports star was part of one of I’m A Celeb’s most iconic moments when he and campmate Iain Lee devoured the camp’s prize of strawberries after winning the Jungle challenge and lied to their fellow contestants about it.
Despite the furore, Khan still he has no regrets about it, revealing: “I don’t regret one bit what I did. I was starving at the time, and it was fun and boisterous!
“It caused a lot of commotion in camp, but I couldn’t believe how big it became in the UK! Still to this day, I get people talking about it and coming over to me with gifts of strawberry bowls...”
CAROL VORDERMAN
TV presenter Carol Vorderman is ready to take the Jungle once again, seven years after she first entered it in season 16.
The 62-year-old finished eighth on 2016’s series, and has since revealed that that she lied about having a fear of heights that year so that she was given easier challenges.
Something tells us that Vorderman might not be so lucky this time around.
HELEN FLANAGAN
Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan put in a memorable performance 11 years ago in camp – for winning hardly any stars for the group. The soap star finished seventh after being put up for a string of Bushtucker Trials, many of which she tapped out of once she heard mention of rats, one of her phobias.
On returning to the show, the TV star said that she hopes to prove herself this time around. She shared: “I thought about it for a good while... I did the jungle when I was 22. And now I’m 32. Obviously, you change, you’re such a different person within 10 years.
“I really wanted to set myself the challenge of doing it. I’m A Celebrity is such an iconic show and it’s so flattering to be asked back.”
JORDAN BANJO
Diversity star Jordan Banjo is stepping into his Jungle boots once again for the All Stars spin-off. The 30-year-old appeared on the same series as Carol Vorderman and left the camp in ninth place.
The dancer won a whopping 23 stars during his time on the show, but despite his feats, Banjo admitted he still has a fear of snakes.
After his jungle appearance, he shared: “I think I’m more scared of snakes now I’ve come face to face with them! I thought coming face to face with them would make things better but it hasn’t!”
FATIMA WHITBREAD
Olympian Fatima Whitbread won the hearts of the nation during her 2011 appearance on I’m A Celebrity.
The 62-year-old tackled every Bushtucker Trial head-on and memorably had a cockroach lodged up her nose after one particularly gruesome challenge, which has since been immortalised in wax.
After finishing in third place that season, there’s no doubt the athlete will be gunning for the crown.
PAUL BURRELL
Former royal butler Paul Burrell first starred on the series way back in 2004. He has become one of the show’s most memorable campmates thanks to his high pitched shrieking and whimpering during the infamous Bushtucker Bonanza.
The 64-year-old finished in second place that year but has since appeared on the Australian version of the hit series, making this his third stint in the Jungle.
Despite having to face his fear of snakes and bugs again, Burrell admitted that his latest appearance on I’m A Celebrity saved his life. The TV personality was diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly after returning home from South Africa. He revealed that if it wasn’t for the show and their medical checks, he wouldn’t have been able to catch the cancer early.
PHIL TUFNELL
Former King of the Jungle Phil Tufnell is taking on camp again despite having won the series back in 2003.
The former cricketer, 56, is not a fan of creepy crawlies and previously admitted that the eating challenges are the hardest.
He said: “The eating challenges are hardest, especially if you get witchetty grubs or creepy-crawlies that are still moving... Eating living creatures is what I found trickiest. My advice is to eat things that are dead.”
JANICE DICKINSON
American supermodel Janice Dickinson is set to face her fears on I’m A Celeb’s spin-off special. The 68-year-old first appeared on the show in 2007 and finished in second place, behind Christopher Biggins.
Ahead of the series, Dickinson revealed she has developed a fear of rats after she was famously bitten by one during a Bushtucker Trial. She also has a fear of birds thanks to the show, revealing how they used to land by her cot at night.
She said before: “I was scared they were going to peck my eyes out or something. I was sleeping under my sleeping bag with the zipper all the way up to my head, feeling that something’s going to crawl into my bed at night. It’s quite scary.”
SHAUN RYDER
Happy Monday’s Shaun Ryder originally starred on the series in 2010 where he was runner-up. Since his appearance 13 years ago, the 60-year-old musician has suffered a host of health woes.
This time around, Ryder revealed he how his false hip slipped during filming: “When I went into the last show at 48 I was in reasonable condition. I didn’t really have an overactive thyroid which makes you fat...
“I didn’t have full-body alopecia. I didn’t have a false hip and another that needed to be replaced. So yeah, a lot of change by the time I was 60 for this show. You know, I thought mentally I was still the same. Physically, I wasn’t.
The music star then explained that the whole camp heard his hip pop: “It just came out, and it woke up everybody. I thought, ‘Am I going to be rushed to hospital to get this thing back?’ No way. So as soon as it came out, I pushed it back in myself!”
