Wayne Rooney and Joanna Page have emerged as the two early frontrunners to win I'm A Celebrity, raising the prospect of millions of fans rallying behind their respective national heroes. Jungle bosses are hoping a patriotic Battle of Britain between the former England football captain and the Welsh Gavin & Stacey favourite could smash the show's voting records.
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. Now there are hopes among ITV executives that national pride could help push voting figures even higher, with Welsh viewers getting behind Joanna and Rooney counting on his huge following among English football fans.
Joanna Page aims to be first Welsh Queen of the Jungle
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.”
The prospect of a patriotic showdown comes after a series of huge voting figures in previous years. Football stars generally have a track record in attracting bumper votes. 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.
Insiders predict a slog it out between English and Welsh fans
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.”
There could also be some good-natured rivalry around the campfire after Rooney previously admitted he didn't like Wales at Euro 2016. He said previously: “I always remember the day we got knocked out to Iceland, and the Wales team were watching in the hotel and they're up celebrating. I just thought, they can be happy we got knocked out, no problem. And they're all posting on their social media and I've never forgot that.”
Stars arrive in Australia ahead of Monday's start
Joanna, who was born in Swansea, became a household name playing Stacey Shipman in the BBC comedy Gavin & 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 Rooney, 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.
The following morning former Love Island star Chloe Burrows and Kaiser Chief singer Ricky Wilson also touched down. Chloe, who is also a DJ on Kiss FM, remained coy if she was appearing on the show. She said: “I got a 99p voucher holiday which has sent me to the Gold Coast. I am also a big fan of Bondi rescue and am a big fan of Vegemite so I have come to check it out.” Ricky, meanwhile, joked he was doing a “top secret TV show that I can't talk about.” He added: “Are my bandmates not here? I thought I was meeting them here. I am not a great liar am I? I have never been camping. I've been to festivals playing them, never camping.”
Broadcaster Mariella Frostrup and comic Jack Skipper also arrived ahead of the show starting on Monday night, while AJ Odudu was seen getting a flight in London.
