Television presenting duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have publicly addressed the long-standing rumours of a feud with model and presenter Kelly Brook during an episode of their I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! aftershow.
The On-Air Exchange That Sparked Fresh Chatter
The discussion was prompted on Monday 24 November 2025 during the broadcast of I'm a Celebrity...Unpacked. The conversation turned to the cooking skills of the celebrities in the jungle camp, leading Ant McPartlin to make a comment about Kelly Brook's poor culinary abilities. This gave his co-host, Dec Donnelly, the perfect opportunity to probe further.
Donnelly directly asked McPartlin about his apparent 'problem with Kelly Brook'. In a light-hearted and joking manner, McPartlin swiftly retorted, 'Don’t you start! I don’t have a problem with Kelly Brook, thank you.' The exchange was met with laughter, suggesting a playful dynamic rather than a serious conflict.
Origins of the Alleged Feud: Britain's Got Talent 2009
The roots of this alleged rivalry trace back to 2009 on the set of another hit ITV show, Britain's Got Talent. Kelly Brook was brought on board as a fourth judge but was dropped after just one week on the programme.
Officially, the show's producers stated that adding an extra judge made the format 'too complicated'. However, Brook later suggested a different reason for her abrupt departure. She implied that it was because she had upset Ant and Dec by questioning their role on the series.
Adding fuel to the fire, Dec Donnelly admitted in their 2010 memoir, Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story, that he was 'annoyed' by the decision to hire Brook in the first place. This candid revelation cemented the speculation of a behind-the-scenes rift for many years.
A Rivalry Revisited and Its Lasting Impact
While the recent comments were made in jest, they have brought the sixteen-year-old story back into the public eye. The incident highlights how decisions and interactions from deep within a show's production history can resurface years later, creating enduring narratives for fans and the media alike.
The playful banter on Unpacked suggests that any past tensions have likely subsided, or are at least now handled with a sense of humour. For viewers, it provided an intriguing glimpse into the complex and often-unseen relationships that exist between television's biggest stars.
