For over 25 series, more than 300 celebrities have braved the Australian jungle on ITV's hit show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. While some campmates have seen their careers soar after leaving the camp, a surprising number have seemingly vanished from the public radar.
From brutal Bushtucker Trials to meagre rations, the show is a gruelling test. Yet, every year, a fresh batch of famous faces signs up. For some, it's a springboard to greater fame, but for others, it marks the beginning of a retreat from the spotlight, whether by choice, controversy, or a simple career change.
From TV Fame to New Careers
Several former contestants have traded showbiz for entirely different professions. Fran Cosgrave, who came third in the 2004 series and later won the first Love Island, consciously stepped away from celebrity life. He now works as an international DJ and producer for the house music trio Futuristic Polar Bears, touring the world far from the glare of reality TV.
Similarly, Dani Behr, a singer and TV presenter eliminated on day 12 in 2008, has left entertainment behind. After a career that included The Big Breakfast and The Word, she now works as a real estate agent in Los Angeles.
Perhaps the most dramatic career shift belongs to 80s pop star David Van Day. After reaching the semi-finals in 2008, the former Dollar singer swapped music for politics. He has stood as a Conservative candidate in Brighton and Hove and won a seat on Thurrock council in a 2019 by-election, though he lost it in the 2022 local elections.
Controversies and Quiet Lives
For some, their post-jungle journey was derailed by controversy. Carol Thatcher, crowned Queen of the Jungle in 2005, initially parlayed her popularity into a role on BBC's The One Show. However, she was dropped in 2009 after using a racially offensive term backstage. Now 72, she works as an after-dinner speaker and divides her time between Switzerland and Spain.
Former EastEnders actor Marc Bannerman, famous for playing Gianni Di Marco, faced personal turmoil after his 2007 jungle stint, where he sparked a romance with fellow campmate Cerys Matthews while in a relationship. He later spoke openly about depression and heavy drinking following his abrupt axing from the soap. He has continued acting with smaller roles and keeps his personal life, including his two children, out of the public eye.
Model Sophie Anderton, who appeared in 2004, faced a public battle with cocaine addiction and bankruptcy in 2008. She has since turned her life around, marrying Polish aristocrat Kaz Balinski in 2023 and launching her own fashion label.
Embracing a Life Away from the Limelight
Many stars have simply chosen a quieter, more private existence. Interior designer Linda Barker, a third-place finisher in 2003, successfully launched her own home furnishings brand and runs an online interiors company. She has stated she is no longer interested in the 'celebrity thing'.
Former Neighbours star Kimberley Davies, who left the 2005 series early due to injury, stepped back from acting to run a decorating business in Melbourne and raise her family. Despite a brief return to Ramsay Street this year, the soap's subsequent cancellation means her screen future remains uncertain.
Other contestants have found fulfilment in entirely new passions. 90s 'It Girl' Catalina Guirado, from the 2003 series, now runs a company manufacturing horse riding attire in the US. Glamour model Nell McAndrew, a finalist in the very first series in 2002, has reinvented herself as a fitness enthusiast and marathon runner at 50.
Meanwhile, Australian model and DJ Emily Scott, known for her flirtation with Mark Wright in the 2011 series, has built a successful international DJ career and was once romantically linked to the late cricketer Shane Warne.
The jungle experience, it seems, is just one chapter. For these celebrities, life after I'm a Celebrity led not to more fame, but to fresh starts, private happiness, and careers a world away from the reality TV campfire.
