Television presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have publicly addressed the long-standing rumours of a feud with model and radio DJ Kelly Brook during an episode of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'s aftershow, Unpacked.
The On-Air Exchange
The moment unfolded over the weekend of Tuesday 25 November 2025, as the duo discussed the main show's events with hosts Joel Dommett and Kemi Rodgers. The conversation turned to the camp's cooking, with Ant McPartlin commenting on the quality of the food. "What they've got given hasn't been awful, has it?" McPartlin said. "Even octopus, if you cook it right, it's nice. They just cooked it badly."
When Kemi Rodgers pointed out that the camp's cooks were Martin Kemp and Kelly Brook, Declan Donnelly burst into laughter and directly asked McPartlin, "What's your problem with Kelly Brook?" McPartlin was quick to respond, pointing at his co-host and stating, "Don't you start! I don't have a problem with Kelly Brook, thank you."
A History of Tension
This on-air ribbing resurfaced a reported rivalry that began back in 2009. Kelly Brook was hired as a judge on Britain's Got Talent but was dropped from the show after just one week. While it was officially explained that adding a fourth judge made the format "too complicated", Brook has previously suggested her departure was linked to Ant and Dec.
In their 2010 memoir, Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story, Donnelly recounted an awkward first encounter with Brook. He recalled trying to put her at ease on her first day, only for her to ask him, "And what do you do on the show?" Donnelly wrote that he and McPartlin were "annoyed" about her hiring, questioning why a fourth judge was needed and why it was Kelly Brook.
Donnelly elaborated, "Obviously, as hosts of the show, we have to justify that kind of thing to the audience, and no one could give us a good reason why Kelly was on board. The simple answer was that Simon, without talking to anyone, had decided it was a good idea. We didn't agree."
Brook's Side of the Story
Kelly Brook has given her perspective on the events, claiming that Ant and Dec "clearly didn't want" her on the show despite her being "never anything but pleasant" to them. She believed their egos were bruised, and they were vocal about their displeasure.
Brook also stated that after leaving Britain's Got Talent, she felt professionally sidelined, alleging that "the people at ITV were telling me that I had upset Ant and Dec and that was it."
Former BGT judge Piers Morgan confirmed this version of events. Just one day after Brook entered the I'm a Celebrity jungle on Sunday 16 November, Morgan posted on Instagram, "Be interesting to see how she interacts with Ant and Dec given she still blames them for being fired so fast and ruthlessly... which isn't far from the truth." He added that the hosts were unhappy about not being consulted and were "even less happy when she asked them what they did on the show."
As Brook continues her journey in the jungle, this revived history adds a compelling layer of off-screen drama to the 2025 series of the hit ITV show.
