Comedian and television presenter Joel Dommett is making a triumphant return to the jungle, nearly a decade after his own stint as a campmate. This time, however, he'll be avoiding the Bushtucker Trials altogether as he takes on hosting duties for the brand-new spin-off series I'm A Celebrity...Unpacked.
Family Adventure Down Under
The Masked Singer host won't be heading to Australia alone. Dommett revealed he's bringing his wife, model Hannah Cooper, 36, and their two-year-old son Wilde along for the adventure. The couple welcomed their son in September 2023, and Dommett describes the little boy as remarkably laid-back despite his adventurous name.
"He's very chill. And I do realise, we're very lucky with that," Dommett shared with a grin. "And I suspect if we were to have another, they would be absolute nightmares!"
The 40-year-old presenter, who recently celebrated his birthday, appears to have embraced fatherhood completely. "He's so fun. I just love hanging out with him," he gushed. "It's such a mad thing where I just feel like my wife's given birth to a little best friend - it's just the dream."
Jungle Homecoming
Dommett's return to the jungle marks a full-circle moment nearly ten years after he finished as runner-up in the 16th series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2016. That series saw him sharing the campsite with Emily Atack, Carol Vorderman and eventual winner Scarlett Moffatt.
"I'm really excited to be back," Dommett expressed. "I can't quite believe it's coming up to 10 years since I did the jungle myself. It's really, really nice to round off those 10 years and to be still going back there after so long, it is amazing."
He particularly enjoys watching new celebrities experience the jungle for the first time. "Seeing fresh people going in and seeing their enjoyment (and non-enjoyment as well)... it's just so lovely to see it through their eyes."
Behind the Scenes Challenges
While the Unpacked series appears seamless on television, Dommett revealed the considerable challenges involved in its production. He described the process as a "proper army operation" that requires working through the night due to time zone differences.
"In reality, you are travelling there in the mad weather, for a start," he explained. "Last year we had crazy floods and you're writing the show about a show that's not finished yet. Also, there's the time zone difference. I'm getting up at midnight and then working through the night until 10 o'clock in the morning."
Despite these difficulties, Dommett praised his co-host Kemi Rogers as "so easy to work with" and expressed admiration for the entire production team.
The presenter remains a staunch believer in I'm A Celebrity's unique appeal, noting how it reveals celebrities' true characters. "It just brings these celebrities out of their comfort zone, and you see a side of them that you would never see on any other show," he said. "It's just so captivating and ridiculous and fun."
When asked about potentially returning as a contestant for an All Stars series, Dommett remained open to the possibility with a smile: "Never say never. It would definitely get me off my mobile phone for a while!"
I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! begins on 16th November on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player.
