Thursday night's episode of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! erupted into comedic chaos as the legendary presenting duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly's long-running gag reached a boiling point, resulting in a side-splitting on-air outburst.
The Great Broccoli Showdown
For years, the pair's jungle studio banter has been a cornerstone of the ITV hit. This series introduced a new recurring joke: whenever a drone shot of the lush trees surrounding their studio appears after an ad break, Dec shouts 'broccoli', poking fun at the vegetation's resemblance to the vegetable. Throughout the series, Dec has repeatedly interrupted Ant with the cry.
However, during Thursday's broadcast, Ant finally reached his limit. As he attempted to welcome viewers back from a commercial break, Dec launched into his familiar 'broccoli' refrain. This time, Ant cut him off mid-shout, yelling 'shut up!' through fits of laughter, sending the studio and viewers at home into hysterics.
Martin Kemp's Emotional Jungle Exit
Elsewhere in the eventful episode, Spandau Ballet guitarist Martin Kemp became the sixth celebrity to be eliminated from the competition. The 64-year-old star spent 20 days in the camp before his departure.
Speaking to hosts Ant and Dec after his exit, an emotional Kemp said, 'I have dreamt about this moment.' He reflected on his unique experience, stating, 'It's just a weird trip. I loved just sitting around and talking with the others... I'm not one for making new friends and this is the first time I've done it in years and I absolutely loved it.'
Kemp expressed contentment with his journey, adding, 'Coming out now, I feel like I've done everything I want to do, experienced it and I can walk out with some brilliant anecdotes. I wasn't one of those guys that was dancing and singing and stuff, I just brought a calm energy.'
A Family Affair: Reunions and Rivalries
Kemp's exit was sweetened by a reunion with his wife of 40 years, Shirlie Holliman, 63, who had flown to Australia to support him. Earlier, voted-off campmates had relayed messages that Martin was 'desperate' to be reunited with her.
His departure also sparked a friendly family rivalry with his son, radio presenter Roman Kemp, who finished in third place on the show in 2019. Roman took to social media platform X with a tongue-in-cheek reaction to his dad leaving earlier than he did, posting 'Oh noooo.'
In a more heartfelt note, Roman added, 'Love him and love that some of you have seen a snapshot of the man I aspire to be!' He also humorously noted his father's lack of airtime, dubbing him the 'jungle ghost', and questioned why Martin hadn't faced more Bushtucker Trials.
Roman revealed a touching insight, saying, 'One thing I have noticed is my dad keeps saying 'my new friends'. He genuinely doesn't have mates so he means it, he'll be really be chuffed.' Martin himself confirmed he was 'glad' he didn't beat his son's third-place finish.
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! continues on ITV1 and ITVX.
