Jesy Nelson has reportedly withdrawn from I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! just weeks before the ITV show is set to return, choosing to care for her unwell twin daughters.
The 35-year-old pop star, who rose to fame after winning The X Factor in 2011 as part of Little Mix, had been expected to appear on the reality series. However, the singer recently split from Zion Foster, to whom she had been engaged for just under a year.
Premature Birth and SMA Diagnosis
Jesy gave birth prematurely to twins Ocean and Story in March 2025. Both babies were born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1, and neither is likely to ever walk.
The singer successfully lobbied the government and joined with the Mirror to campaign for all newborns to be tested for SMA after her daughters were diagnosed too late, following irreversible nerve damage.
Campaign Platform Set Aside
It is thought Jesy had hoped to use an appearance on I'm A Celebrity to raise awareness of the condition, but has now pulled out. A source said: "Jesy was so excited about joining I'm A Celebrity, mainly because it was giving her a platform to continue her campaigning for SMA. She has already helped change Government policy over testing newborns for the condition.
"I'm A Celeb was going to be where she could spread her message even further, and show a side to her the public may not have seen before. It's with a very heavy heart she has pulled out."
The insider added that bosses would always consider Jesy, who would have been the first Little Mix member to enter the jungle, for a future slot. Speaking to The Sun, the source said: "Ocean and Story are unwell and there is no way Jesy would leave them. Her family are her priority. ITV have been amazing and are supporting her all the way. The door will always be left open for Jesy."
Show Line-Up Speculation
In September, bosses were said to be hopeful Jesy would sign her contract within weeks and were "thrilled" to have got that far, though the outlet now claims she told bosses last month she could not commit to the series. Producers were reportedly keen for her to discuss her time in Little Mix and her sudden departure in 2020.
The show, which began in 2002, usually airs for three weeks in November, with Ant and Dec broadcasting live from the Gold Coast in Australia. Other names rumoured to have signed up include footballer Wayne Rooney, former Strictly Come Dancing pro Nadiya Bychkova, cricketer Ben Stokes and Kaiser Chiefs star Ricky Wilson.
A spokesperson said: "Any names suggested for I'm A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! are just speculation." The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment.
