Monday night will see the launch of a whole new I’m A Celebrity – with stars of former series heading to South Africa to compete.
All stars ranging from 2003 winner Phil Tufnall to divisive 2017 star Amir Khan jetted to the jungle to compete to become the I’m A Celeb ‘Legend’ – a departure from the traditional King or Queen title of the past 22 years.
As well as Phil and Amir, celebrities including Jordan Banjo, who has previously discussed his deathly fear of snakes, and Helen Flanagan, who admitted her struggles during her first turn, will be preparing to face gruesome challenges.
While a slew of stars have been confirmed for the show, a rumoured list of late arrivals comprises Joe Swash, Gillian McKeith, Dean Gaffney, Georgia Toffolo, Andy Whyment and Myleene Klass
So who is making a comeback? What are their biggest fears? And who looks set to be crowned the inaugural Legend?
A look at the full cast ahead of Monday night’s launch…
I’m A Celeb all-stars: Shaun Ryder, Helen Flanagan, Phil Tufnell, Jordan Banjo, Carol Vorderman, Paul Burrell, Amir Khan, Janice Dickinson and Fatima Whitbread (left-right)
AMIR KHAN
AGE: 36
JOB: Boxing champion
ORIGINAL SEASON: Season 17, 2017
FINISHING PLACE: Fifth place
NUMBERS OF STARS WON: 9/10
BIGGEST FEAR: Spiders, snakes and heights
Ahead of his appearance on the show six years previously, the boxer detailed his worst fears, which he later went on to face live on air.
He said: ‘I am one guy who hates spiders. Whenever I see a spider at home, I get my sister to move it. I just don’t deal with it.
‘I hope I don’t come across any of them when I am in the jungle but I know I am going to. ‘Will I scream? Yes definitely, but maybe this is the time where I face my phobias! I also hate snakes and heights too.’
WHAT HAVE THEY GOT TO SAY?
Amir was part of one of I’m A Celeb’s most iconic moments – thanks to the shock scenes where he stole the camp’s prize of strawberries alongside Iain Lee, having lied to their fellow contestants about winning the fruit.
The boxing champ admits he has no regrets – despite being slammed for the selfish act – saying: ‘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…
‘Aside from camp life, [my favourite moment] got to be Strawberry-Gate. I didn’t realise the commotion that it was causing but I was starving at the time and so I couldn’t resist eating the strawberries. It was fun’.
Vile: Amir was famously devious – particularly with a pack of strawberries
CAROL VORDERMAN
AGE: 62
JOB: TV presenter
ORIGINAL SEASON: Season 16, 2016
FINISHING PLACE: Eighth place
NUMBERS OF STARS WON: 19/20
BIGGEST FEAR: Unconfirmed… but also House fires
Following Carol’s appearance on the show in 2016, she revealed that she had lied about a fear of heights so that she was given easier challenges.
She said: ‘Last time I did I’m a Celebrity, I tried to double bluff everyone. I told them I was frightened of things I wasn’t really, like heights!…
‘It did sort of semi work. Afterwards I told them the story as I thought I would never be going again and I admitted what I was really frightened of so now they all know!
‘It’s just important to enjoy it and have fun. We’ve still got a WhatsApp group from our time on I’m a Celebrity in 2016!’
Away from I’m A Celebrity, Carol branded claimed her biggest fear is house fires: ‘Well that was going to be my next one to be perfectly honest, because it’s probably my biggest fear.
‘You know, I’ve lived in lots of different properties through the years. And it is like: ‘How are we going to get out? How are we going to get out? So yeah, I would say it was my biggest fear, to be honest.’
WHAT HAVE THEY GOT TO SAY?
Speaking about her time on the show after filming, a terrified Carol said: ‘Some of the trials are: “HOLY C**P! How did I live?!
‘I’m not exaggerating. There was one trial that petrified me. And I’m not frightened of anything. I don’t think I’ve ever been as scared in my life…
‘And the b****rs took what we’d call a trial – I was thinking: ‘I can cope with that because I’ve done it before’ – and put it on speed. Everyone will love watching it. It was brutal’.
Eugh! Carol admitted she lied about her fears during her time on the show
HELEN FLANAGAN
AGE: 32
JOB: Actress
ORIGINAL SEASON: Season 12, 2012
FINISHING PLACE: Seventh place
NUMBERS OF STARS WON: 17/52
BIGGEST FEAR: Rats
Helen did not realise before entering the show that she had a fear of rodents, however all came to light once she saw the fellow guests in the jungle.
She said: ‘I was horrified. I’ll never forget it. When I arrived at the camp there were rats everywhere… I’d never seen a rat. I was just absolutely thrown. I felt sick. I was so scared. I was just horrified by everything.’
WHAT HAVE THEY GOT TO SAY?
On returning to the show, she said: ‘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.’
Oh no! Helen has stated she will miss her kids as she returns to the programme
JORDAN BANJO
AGE: 30
JOB: Diversity dancer
ORIGINAL SEASON: Season 16, 2016
FINISHING PLACE: Ninth place
NUMBERS OF STARS WON: 23/29
BIGGEST FEAR: Snakes
Ahead of entering the show, he revealed his lifelong fear of snakes, so naturally the star was faced with his slimy nemesis on the show.
Speaking after his stint, he said: ‘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!”
While he was on the show, on the outside world, his brother Ashley revealed: ‘I used to have a snake as a pet and he refused to come into my room for at least four years. Snakes are genuinely his biggest fear’.
Agh! Jordan was forced to face his worst fear
FATIMA WHITBREAD
AGE: 62
JOB: Olympian
ORIGINAL SEASON: Season 11, 2011
FINISHING PLACE: Third place
NUMBERS OF STARS WON: 25/28
BIGGEST FEAR:
WHAT HAVE THEY GOT TO SAY?
Ahead of entering the jungle, Fatima revealed that she had a cockroach lodged up her nose following her 2011 stint – and has since had him put in wax.
She said: ‘LB I call him because at the time he was a little b*****d…
‘That was a scary moment – they edited it I know. It was up there for 20 minutes.
The doctor looked and said there was nothing there but I knew – you know when there is an alien body inside your body…
‘It took 20 minutes and three different solutions to flush it out… It shot out my mouth and he hit the ground running like an Olympic cockroach, but I got it.’
Ew! Fatima managed to get a cockroach stuck up her nose
PAUL BURRELL
AGE: 64
JOB: Royal butler
ORIGINAL SEASON: Season four, 2004
FINISHING PLACE: Second place
BIGGEST FEAR: Snakes and bugs
During his appearance on the Australian version of the show, Paul revealed he was terrified of the creepy crawlies and snakes he was faced with.
WHAT HAVE THEY GOT TO SAY?
Since leaving the jungle, it has been revealed that Paul is said to be heartbroken after a crew member lost his wedding ring while he was filming the first ever I’m A Celebrity All Star series.
The former royal Butler was reportedly advised to take off the gold band, estimated to be worth £10,000, before taking part in a Bushtucker trial.
Paul, who worked beside and was a confidante of Diana, Princess of Wales, for ten years until her death in 1997, wept with joy as he married his ‘soulmate’ Graham Cooper in 2017.
The couple opted for gold wedding bands, but Paul’s went missing with the ITV crew unable to locate where it was after the trial came to an end.
A source told The Sun: ‘It was thought the ring had been put in the production office for safe keeping but was nowhere to be seen.
Agh! It has been revealed that Paul’s wedding ring was lost
PHIL TUFNELL
AGE: 56
JOB: Cricketer
ORIGINAL SEASON: Season two, 2003
FINISHING PLACE: First place
NUMBERS OF STARS WON: 17/20
BIGGEST FEAR: Creepy crawlies
Speaking about the eating challenges, 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…
‘To psyche yourself up, use team spirit. You’ve got to win food for the camp, so you feel like Tarzan — a hunter-gatherer, bringing home the bacon.’
Yay! Phil is one of the early victors of the show
JANICE DICKINSON
AGE: 68
JOB: Supermodel
ORIGINAL SEASON: Season seven, 2007
FINISHING PLACE: Second place
BIGGEST FEAR: Birds and rats
Janice was famously bitten by a rat during first stint on the show which led to a fear however she is also fearing of birds after she was accosted on this show.
She explained: ‘Some birds were landing by my cot, I think they were vultures. Huge black birds, going [squawking] right by my ear.
‘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.’
Ahem! Janice threw herself into the tasks full throttle
SHAUN RYDER
AGE: 60
JOB: Happy Mondays star
ORIGINAL SEASON: Season 10, 2010
NUMBERS OF STARS WON: 16/16
FINISHING PLACE: Second place
WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY?
Shaun revealed a host of health woes from his time on the show detailing how his false hip slipped: ‘ 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.
‘I was also down on my testosterone because I kept forgetting to put my special gel on. So I went into full menopause’. myself wrong.’
He revealed 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!’
Moving on: Shaun admitted his health has taken a sharp decline
Comeback queens! Georgia Toffolo and Myleene Klass are said to be late arrivals
Back again? After his 2008 stint, Joe Swash is pegged to be a latecomer
Agh! Dean Gaffney is also on the rumoured return list
Woo! Corrie star Andy Whyment is reportedly prepping to take on more challenges in South Africa
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