The Jungle Reunion Fifteen Years in the Making
Sunday's launch of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! served up one of the most anticipated television reunions in years as presenting duo Ant and Dec came face-to-face with Kelly Brook for the first time since their alleged bitter fallout in 2009. The encounter was notably awkward, with the famous pair failing to properly acknowledge the model and actress despite their long history together.
As Kelly parachuted onto the beach where the presenters were waiting, she turned to the camera and yelled, 'Ant and Dec, I'm coming for you!' - a statement loaded with meaning given their complicated past. When joined by rapper Aitch after landing, the group engaged in brief small talk, but nothing further was discussed about their shared history, creating a palpable tension that did not go unnoticed by viewers.
The Origins of the Feud: Britain's Got Talent 2009
The root of the conflict dates back to 2009 when Kelly joined the third series of Britain's Got Talent as the first-ever fourth judge alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan. Her tenure lasted just one week before she was axed, with producers claiming the four-judge format was 'too complicated.'
However, Kelly has maintained for years that Ant and Dec were responsible for her departure following an awkward exchange. She alleged that the presenters had her fired because she didn't know what they did on the show, leading to what she described as a 'clash of egos.'
In their 2010 autobiography, 'Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story,' Dec recalled the moment that apparently sparked the feud: 'Kelly looked nervous, so I told her it was going to be great fun and to just relax... She nodded, then looked at me and said, "And what do you do on the show?"'
Dec described his surprise at the question, noting that the only other person who had ever asked him that was the Queen. The duo later confessed in their book that they were 'annoyed' they hadn't been consulted about Kelly joining the show and couldn't understand why she had been recruited.
Career Fallout and Public Sparring
Following her abrupt departure from Britain's Got Talent, Kelly insisted that Ant and Dec had thwarted her career. She claimed at the time: 'There was nothing I could do in this country after Britain's Got Talent. The people at ITV were telling me that I had upset Ant and Dec and that was it.'
She further elaborated: 'I really felt it was working out. Ant and Dec had never been anything but pleasant to my face but, clearly, they didn't want me on the show. Their egos are such that they were saying to themselves "How dare she think she can come on to our show?"'
Kelly also took a swipe at the duo for writing about her in their memoir, stating: 'As for Ant and Dec, good luck to them. They are rich and they are happy, but they won't be in my autobiography, even if I am in theirs!'
Viewers React and What Comes Next
Social media immediately lit up with comments from observant fans who remembered the history between the television personalities. One viewer wrote on X: 'Do people realise Kelly Brook & Ant and Dec have serious beef with each other? #ImACeleb.'
Another added: 'Just realised. Doesn't Kelly Brook not like Ant and Dec after what happened at Britain's Got Talent? #ImACeleb.'
Ahead of her jungle stint, Kelly appeared to be extending an olive branch, saying in her pre-show interview: 'Ant & Dec. They are very well dressed and it would be fun to be in with them to see how they survive.'
According to sources close to the production, both sides felt apprehension about the reunion. One insider revealed: 'How things ended with Kelly on Britain's Got Talent was very upsetting. Both sides said things in anger afterwards, which meant the unpleasantness rumbled on.'
The source added that while their painful history won't be referenced on air, the proximity of working together in the jungle creates a naturally awkward situation. With the 24th season now underway, all eyes will be on whether this tense reunion develops into reconciliation or remains one of television's most uncomfortable behind-the-scenes dynamics.
