ITV1's returning programme I'm A Celebrity... South Africa was very nearly derailed by the most unlikely prankster.
Now airing on weeknights, the All Stars spin-off of the long-running reality TV favourite hosted by Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly brought back the likes of Ashley Roberts, Seann Walsh, Craig Charles, Jimmy Bullard, Adam Thomas, Beverley Callard, Mo Farah, Scarlett Moffatt, David Haye, and 2018 champion Harry Redknapp to the format this year.
However, the retired Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth football manager allegedly went too far when some of his fellow campmates were at breaking point.
This insight was recollected during a press roundtable, via PA Media.
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'So Macho' singer Sinitta shared of Redknapp's ill-judged banter: "I think we'd done really hard trials all day, or some sort of game, so we were physically exhausted.
"We got back and we're all relieved [that] nothing else can happen now, because they've exhausted us. It's getting dark now, it's getting late, so that must be it, we can relax. And Harry comes in and says, 'Guys, you're not going to believe this...' and he's got the board, and he starts reading this awful trial.
"I think it's called something like the House of Hell, Prison of Hell, or something."
The 79-year-old proceeded to convince everyone within earshot that they'd potentially be contending with rats during the challenge.
"We're already broken and literally before he could finish reading it out, Gemma [Collins] was like, 'I'm a celebrity get me out of here!'" continued Sinitta, referring to the declaration that immediately releases contestants from the competition.
"I have to admit, my hand went up and I was like, 'You know what? Me too, I'm too exhausted, gotta go' – and he was pranking us."
At the same presser, ex-boxer Haye showered Collins in praise after initially doubting her commitment to the camp's cause.
The cruiserweight-turned-heavyweight star explained that ahead of his travels to South Africa, he was warned about Collins' history with I'm A Celeb, which ended with her quitting the Australian jungle just 3 days into the series back in 2014.
"I didn't have high hopes," he admitted. "But of all the people watching her go through what she went through, she doesn't have an ounce of quit in her at all.
"Whatever she did the first time round, she obviously looked back, a few years have gone by, and she's like, 'I'm going to give it everything.' Fortunately for the show, she did, because she was part of some real heavy challenges that she should be proud of herself."
Topics: ITV, TV, Gemma Collins, Harry Redknapp
Dan Seddon