As a new group of celebrities prepares to face the Australian jungle and its infamous Bushtucker Trials, the spotlight turns to the enormous pay cheques that lure famous faces into the camp. The upcoming series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! promises to be the toughest yet, but for some, the financial reward is a powerful incentive.
The Million-Pound Club
Two campmates stand out for securing the highest fees in the show's long history. Coleen Rooney reportedly joined the elite £1.5 million club during the 2024 series, capitalising on the immense public interest following her Wagatha Christie court case. Her popularity was undeniable, with viewers voting to keep her in the competition right up to the finale, where she was narrowly beaten by McFly's Danny Jones.
She was joined in this top earnings bracket by political figure Nigel Farage. His 2023 appearance, which saw him finish in third place, also netted a staggering £1.5 million. The fee apparently shocked that year's winner, Sam Thompson, who exclaimed to The Times, "Was he? Bloody hell! I didn't have a clue. You could buy five houses for that!". Thompson insisted his own motivation wasn't financial, stating he would have happily paid to take part.
Big Money for Short Stints
While some earn their fee over the full three weeks, others have secured huge sums for remarkably short stays. In 2018, Noel Edmonds became the programme's highest-paid participant at the time, despite his jungle journey lasting a mere nine days. He received a fee of £600,000, which worked out to an astonishing £66,667 per day before he was voted out first. That series was ultimately won by Harry Redknapp.
The 2022 series featured singer Boy George, who was initially rumoured to be receiving £800,000. This figure was later revised to a still-impressive £500,000. The Culture Club star promised to give ITV value for money, declaring he would be "as Boy George as I can". This was a notable shift from his previous stance, where he had suggested he would never need to appear on the show for financial reasons.
Other Notable Jungle Paydays
The list of high earners extends beyond the top tier. For the 2025 series, rapper Aitch is thought to be receiving a substantial £250,000 for his appearance alongside fellow contestants like Lisa Riley, Kelly Brook, and Martin Kemp.
In 2019, Olympic champion Caitlyn Jenner was rumoured to have pocketed £500,000 for her time in the jungle. The presenting duo Ant and Dec even joked about her fee on air, with Dec noting, "Most people come into the jungle to lose a few pounds.." to which Ant quickly added, "But she's going to be gaining 500,000 of them according to the papers."
Similarly, Harry Redknapp, the 2018 King of the Jungle, was also reportedly paid £500,000. The former football manager later revealed that ITV's offer was double what the BBC had put forward for him to appear on Strictly Come Dancing, making his decision to head to the jungle an easy one.
The new series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! begins on Sunday at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
