I’m A Celebrity fans got a massive shock early on Monday afternoon when it was announced that Olivia Attwood had left the show, just a day after the new series started on ITV.
Olivia, 31, shot to TV fame in 2017 as a contestant in series 3 of Love Island, making it all the way to the final with ex Chris Hughes, the year the show was won by Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies.
After leaving the villa, she and Chris landed their own ITV show, while more recently Olivia appeared as contestant on the reboot of The Games, as well as fronting her own docu-series Getting Filthy Rich.
During I’m A Celebrity’s launch episode on Sunday, viewers saw Olivia told she’d been chosen by the public to be a jungle VIP, with her, in turn, picking Chris Moyles to have the same status as her. Towards the end of the show the pair were joined by Boy George, the other star to be voted VIP and Scarlette Douglas, on a remote island, where they were told they’d be facing the first trial of the new series.
And, as credits rolled on Sunday’s show, bookies were so impressed by Olivia’s attitude that they made her joint favourite to win, right as many viewers were also identifying her as one to watch.
What happened to Olivia Attwood on I’m A Celebrity?
Olivia was forced to quit after a medical episode on set. A insider told The Sun: "Olivia was involved in a medical drama overnight. She really wanted to go back into the camp but medics won't let her."
The Sun also reported that a spokesperson for I'm A Celebrity said: "As a precautionary measure Olivia needed to leave the jungle to undergo some medical checks.
“Unfortunately, the medical team has advised it is not safe for Olivia to return to camp as there needs to be a further investigation. She has been absolutely brilliant and she'll be very much missed on the show.
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It’s been claimed that Olivia, who will be seen on screen on Monday’s I’m A Celebrity, was gutted to have to leave the show and ‘begged’ to be allowed back. She is now on her way back to the UK to be reunited with footballer boyfriend Bradley Dack and will still receive her full appearance fee, having been forced to quit, rather than choosing to leave.
The plot thickened on Monday evening when a post, not from Olivia herself, appeared on her Instagram story. It read: ""To say Olivia is heartbroken would be an understatement, she's dreamed of doing I'm A Celeb for years, and was absolutely loving every second and throwing herself into jungle life feet first (just as we knew she would).
"However, for reasons before her control her journey has been cut short. Your support and kind words have meant the absolute world to her, now as much as always has. You will hear the truth from Olivia in due course and she will be back on your screens in the New Year."
I’m A Celeb hosts Ant and Dec briefly addressed her exit at the start of Monday’s show, with Dec citing ‘medical reasons’ as the catalyst for her departure, before Ant confirmed she’d okay no further part in the show and wished her well.
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