Insiders say this year's I'm A Celebrity campmates are the most “jungle ready” in the show's history, thanks to a lineup boasting extensive wilderness experience.
Paralympian Ade Adepitan spent four weeks trekking 220 miles through the Nicaraguan jungle in a customised wheelchair, while broadcaster Mariella Frostrup has hiked in the foothills of Mount Everest and explored remote parts of South America.
Contestants' Survival Credentials
YouTube star Sharky has taken part in a 24-hour survival challenge in the Australian wilderness, and model Leomie Anderson experienced the Costa Rican jungle during Netflix's Celebrity Bear Hunt. Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu also has experience roughing it outdoors, having spent time in the freezing Chilean Andes during Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
A show insider said: “The show can be very tough at times especially when the weather turns and hunger kicks in but this year's jungle intake are much more hardy than usual and should be able to take being in the wilderness in their stride. The casting team couldn't believe it when the extent of the contestants' experience became clear - it should, in theory, be a walk in the park for some of them but we will have to wait and see.”
Ade Adepitan's Nicaraguan Trek
Ade, 53, took part in BBC Two's Beyond Boundaries in 2005, joining ten other disabled adventurers on a four-week expedition across Nicaragua. Led by former SAS major Ken Hames, Ade travelled from the Atlantic to the Pacific, crossing tropical rainforest, rivers and mountains.
The expedition included an attempt to climb the Concepción volcano, where Ade's teammates initially tried to haul his wheelchair up the steep slopes using ropes. When the terrain became too difficult, he abandoned his wheelchair and continued on his hands and knees.
He said: “I just got out of the chair, and as I got out of the chair, I'm like, 'I'm getting up this volcano one way or another. I don't care how I get up it, I'm just going to get up it'. I just started crawling and I remember all of them looking at me just thinking, 'What is he doing?' It was a live volcano, and it was boiling hot, burning hot. Every time I was touching the ground, I could feel it burning my hands, burning my knees.”
Other Stars' Outdoor Experience
Mariella, 63, has spent years travelling and hiking in remote destinations. The broadcaster met her husband, human rights lawyer Jason McCue, in the foothills of Mount Everest.
Speaking about her enthusiasm for walking in difficult conditions, she declared: “That's why I like a hill and a storm.” She has also hiked the Inca Trail in Peru and has recently spoken of her appetite for further adventures, including the possibility of trekking through the Colombian jungle with her husband. In an interview earlier this year, she said: “I have more of an appetite for adventure and also a sense of 'it's now or maybe never' – so time to get on with it.”
Sharky, 30, took part in a Beta Squad YouTube challenge called We Survived 24 Hours In The Jungle in July 2023, teaming up with fellow creator King Kenny against Niko Omilana and Chunkz, with groups dropped in separate locations and given maps and compasses to navigate the Outback. Leomie, 33, appeared in Netflix's Celebrity Bear Hunt alongside stars including Mel B and Boris Becker, becoming the first celebrity eliminated.
AJ, 38, took part in Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2019, undergoing a military-style selection course in the Chilean Andes. She faced freezing temperatures, exhausting physical challenges and basic living conditions, and underwent a 13-hour interrogation. Speaking about the psychological impact, she said: “Three months after I was still seeing a therapist because I was so traumatised by the whole experience.”
Other celebs heading to the jungle include Wayne Rooney, who was seen at Manchester airport, Joanna Page, Claire Sweeney, Ricky Wilson, Chloe Burrows, Leigh Francis and Jack Skipper.
