I’m A Celeb campmate quits show days before final
Tonight's (21 April) episode of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! South Africa sees a shock departure from the camp.
It's all been kicking off on the ITV show in recent episodes, from David Haye's 'ugly bird' comments to the long-rumoured 'bust-up' between Jimmy Bullard and Adam Thomas finally being shown.
Recorded back in September, celebrities such as Scarlett Moffatt, Harry Redknapp, Mo Farah and Ashley Roberts remain in the camp for its final week.
But while Haye and Gemma Collins exited last night, one I'm A Celeb All Star is forced to leave tonight, days before Friday's live final.
Advert
They've not been directly named by ITV but they announce the news - which they seem gutted by - to their fellow campmates during the earlier chunk of the episode.
"Hi guys I've just got something to tell you all," they announce. "I didn't feel very well this morning... and the medics have advised I can't return to camp."
While the rest of the celebrities are 'in shock', the unnamed departure continues: "I've got to go home.
"I don't want to go. I'm absolutely gutted. I wanted to finish."
This leaves just eight All Stars in the camp, as they sit and reflect on their new unexpected reality.
Elsewhere in tonight's episode, the remaining campmates have to team up in pairs for the trials and challenges.
Dec announced: "Your fate going forward will depend on how well you perform during each trial in that pair.”
And Ant explains further: “You’re each going to take a stone from this bag. If you pick a red stone that means you get to choose your partner. If you pick a white stone, you have to wait to be picked.”
But what seems to be the biggest part of tonight's episode is the long-awaited clash between Bullard and Thomas.
In the glimpse shown on Monday, the actor says to the footballer: "Are you taking the p**s?”
Thomas then continues to shout: "I’m in there getting covered in f**king ants,” while Bullard responds: “Woah, woah, woah, calm down, that’s pathetic.”
And it's now reported that Bullard is ‘refusing’ to attend the live final due to this ‘fallout’ with it said the pair haven't spoken since filming.
The LADbible Group has contacted ITV and representatives for Bullard and Thomas for comment.
I’M A CELEBRITY… SOUTH AFRICA AIRS WEEKNIGHTS AT 9PM ON ITV1, ITVX, STV AND STV PLAYER
The celebrities who have spent the shortest time in the I'm a Celeb jungle and why they left
As this year’s special I'm a Celebrity... South Africa nears its end, the remaining campmates have spent three weeks in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
But some past contestants have had to leave after just a few days, with the reasons ranging from health issues, bereavements and controversies in the outside world.
These are the celebrities who have spent the shortest time in the jungle:
Brian Harvey (2004) - five days
Bizarrely, East 17 singer Harvey left after an argument about farting with journalist Janet Street-Porter.
ITV said at the time he broke wind while Street-Porter was cooking, leading her to tell him off and him to quit the show, saying ‘he was fed up with people treating him like a kid in front of millions of people’.
On a more serious note, Harvey arrived at camp 24 hours after the death of his grandma, so was likely feeling vulnerable emotionally.
Spencer Matthews (2015) – five days
Made in Chelsea star Matthews ended up leaving the jungle over his steroid use. He’d started taking them to bulk up for a charity boxing match.
The idea had been to wean himself off them gradually before heading into the jungle, but in the event, there was no time.
When producers found out, they decided it was unsafe for him to continue.
Richard Madeley (2021) - four days
Former This Morning presenter Madeley took part in the Covid season of the show, which swapped the Australian jungle for a castle in North Wales.
After feeling unwell in the early hours, he was rushed to hospital, and Covid protocols meant he wasn’t allowed back into camp.
Camilla Dallerup (2009) - four days
Strictly pro Dallerup struggled with the show’s meagre rations, confessing to campmates she was ‘so tired’ and had ‘never felt this weak’.
She opted for an early exit rather than putting her health at risk.
Craig Charles (2014) - four days
DJ Charles returned this year, but his first crack at the show was more than a decade ago.
Heartbreakingly, he chose to leave due to the sudden death of his brother at the age of 52.
He said in the years after he couldn’t watch I’m a Celeb because of the association with his bereavement, but now enough time had passed to return to the show.
Jack Maynard (2017) - three days
YouTuber Maynard left early after he was accused of racism and homophobia in tweets from 2012 and 2013, which resurfaced while he was in the jungle.
His reps made the decision to pull him out of the show so he could defend himself.
He later said he now understood the language in the tweets was ‘completely unacceptable’.
Freddie Starr (2011) - three days
Starr, a comedian, had to leave the show after suffering a severe allergic reaction following a Bushtucker Trial in which he chowed down on mouse tails and turkey testicles.
If it was either of those things he was allergic to, at least there’s little chance of him eating them again.
Gemma Collins (2014) - three days
The TOWIE favourite, who returned to I’m a Celeb this year, said she was ‘severely beaten’ by her then-boyfriend, just as she was about to travel to Australia.
Viewers at the time weren’t aware of the allegations, and many mocked Collins for leaving the jungle after just 72 hours, which she said left her ‘wanting to die’ in an interview with the Daily Mail.
Her boyfriend denied the claims, and Collins didn’t press charges, which she says she regrets.
Olivia Attwood (2022) - one day
The Love Island star lasted just a single day in the jungle due to medical reasons.
She explained in 2024 on the Staying Relevant podcast that she ‘tried to fight’ to stay in the jungle, but subsequent test results made it clear she had to leave.
Elaine Lordan (2005) - one day
EastEnders actor Lordan collapsed twice within 24 hours when she starred in the show and ended up having to be flown to hospital.
She later said she was ‘exhausted and hungry’ and was not ‘a natural camper’.
Topics: Im A Celebrity, ITV, TV and Film
Jess Battison