Wayne Rooney is expected to enter the I'm A Celebrity camp in the coming days, with jungle bosses anticipating a patriotic rivalry between the former England football captain and Welsh actress Joanna Page. The two have emerged as the early frontrunners to win the show.
National pride could boost votes
Last year's final attracted almost 13 million votes, the biggest total in at least a decade, as YouTube star Angry Ginge was crowned King of the Jungle. ITV bosses now hope national pride could push voting figures even higher, with Welsh viewers backing Joanna and Rooney counting on his football following.
Joanna, 49, has already declared her ambition to become the first Welsh Queen of the Jungle. She said: "I think that would be a pretty good title to take home. But I'm just as excited to see if I can last the distance. I'm not going to crumble. I'm going to see this to the end and I'm going to be strong. I am going to get the most out of this."
Football stars draw large vote counts
Football stars have a history of attracting large numbers of votes on the show. More than 12 million votes were cast in the 2022 final, when former England Lioness Jill Scott was crowned Queen of the Jungle. In 2018, Harry Redknapp triumphed with 11 million votes.
A jungle insider said: "Clearly anything can happen in camp and favourites can emerge but there is a real feeling that Wayne and Joanna are destined to slog it out vote-wise among English and Welsh fans of the show."
"The fact you have an England football captain and an actress synonymous with Wales thanks to Gavin and Stacey is setting us up for a hell of a battle. There is real hope that the rivalry could capture the public imagination and help deliver the biggest vote in the show's history."
Regional loyalties in the jungle
Joanna, who was born in Swansea, became a household name playing Stacey Shipman in the BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey. Her character's romance with Essex boy Gavin, played by Mathew Horne, famously revolved around the cultural differences between England and Wales.
Her popularity in her homeland could make her a formidable opponent for Wayne, who is hoping to go one better than his wife Coleen after she finished runner-up to McFly singer Danny Jones in 2024. Regional loyalties have previously been a talking point in the jungle, with North East stars Vicky Pattison, Scarlett Moffatt and Jill Scott all winning the show.
Joanna landed at Brisbane Airport on Tuesday night, saying she was a "long way from Barry Island" and that she "kind of wish Nessa was with me now", making reference to her on-screen best mate, played by Ruth Jones. Former Love Island star Chloe Burrow and Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson also landed Down Under. I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! will air from 9pm on Monday, November 16.
