I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! South Africa season two has crowned their winner, and unlike the most recent Australian version of the show they will be walking home with their prize.
The second season of the celebrity all-stars spin-off has been the most contentious in the last few years of the ITV staple, with Adam Thomas ultimately being crowned the winner at the live finale in London tonight (24 April).
Being crowned as the 'legend' comes after a rather chaotic final, with a lot of heat on the actor following his bust-up with Jimmy Bullard. Campmates had walked off the set as the footballer blew up at Thomas, calling his behaviour 'abusive, aggressive and intimidating'.
And that came after David Haye had hit out over whether the Waterloo Road star actually 'deserved' to win the All Stars series of I'm A Celeb. This all seems to have understandably taken a toll on Thomas as he didn't seem as happy as you might expect when he took the throne. But hey, at least he gets to keep his prize.
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Last year’s winner of the main show, Angry Ginge, did not get to keep his prize however, something he told LADbible was an ‘absolute joke’.
In I’m A Celeb South Africa the winners get the same prize as the main version of the show, a crown and sceptre, but also get a £100,000 donation made to a charity of their choice.
Whilst they of course don’t get to hold on to the donation, Thomas will however get to hold on to the crown and sceptre.
Many fans had not realised that the Australian version of the TV show does not allow its celebrity winners to go home with the sceptre until Sam Thompson spoke about it on This Morning after winning the show in 2023.
Speaking about the fact he didn’t go home with the sceptre he won last year, I’m A Celeb alumnus Angry Ginge, whose real name is Morgan Burtwistle, said in a slightly tongue-in-cheek fashion: “I think it's an absolute joke, mate. I think I should have been able to keep the staff, but there's a rule in Australia. I managed to get the crown through security, so I've still got that.
“I tried to keep everything I could, to be honest, but we have to sign it and give it away to charity, so you can't really argue against that.”
The sceptre is handed from winner to winner in a tradition that is partially predicated on the fact that they are not able to get it through security since it is made out of local wood.
Thomas however will be able to take it home since they were crowned in London with a live studio audience.
Speaking in the past about not getting to keep his prize, Thompson said: "I didn’t get to keep anything! They wouldn’t let me keep anything!
“I had to give the sceptre back. I really wanted to bring it through airport security because it’s quite big. But yeah, I don’t have anything to show for it."
The highest paid I’m a Celeb campmates of all time
Not all I’m a Celeb campmates are paid equally, with salaries ranging from around £13,000 to over £1 million.
This year’s campmate David Haye told The Sun this year’s campmates are paid around £20,000-£25,000 per day, which works out £300k-£375k for the whole 15 day stint.
But some contestants have previously been paid a great deal more than this.
Matt Hancock (2022) - £400,000
Former health secretary Hancock was a controversial signing, joining the show after he ended his political career by kissing aide Gina Coladangelo at the height of Covid-19 social distancing regulations.
Going on I’m a Celeb led to him losing the whip in parliament. He finished in third place, and was clearly paid handsomely, so it may all have been worth it.
Amir Khan (2017) - £400,000
Boxer Khan returned for the first series of I’m a Celebrity… South Africa back in 2023, and when the pay cheque is this good, why wouldn’t he?
The undoubted highlight from his original 2017 appearance was the strawberry-gate incident with Iain Lee, when the pair decided to scoff strawberries and cream meant to be shared with the rest of the camp.
Despite this act of treachery, he finished fifth.
Ian Wright (2019) - £400,000
The former Crystal Palace forward was accused of bullying his campmate Andrew Maxwell, and said in his exit interview: “I’ve got to try and be a little bit calmer.”
He finished in eighth place.
Katie Price (2009) - £450,000
The former model famously found love on her first go-around on I’m a Celeb with Peter Andre in 2003.
She returned in 2009, which is when she earned that £450k pay packet.
Despite this, she left after a week, after being repeatedly nominated to compete in Bushtucker Trials.
Harry Redknapp (2018) - £500k
Football manager Redknapp ended up being one of the most beloved I’m a Celeb campmates of all time and won his season - so it’s no surprise he returned for this year’s series.
But he seems to have caused more controversy this time around, with some viewers angry at him for criticising Adam Thomas’ outburst in his blow-up with Jimmy Bullard.
Boy George (2022) - £500,000
The Culture Club singer was one of the show’s most controversial signings, having been sentenced to 15 months in jail back in 2009 for falsely imprisoning a male escort and handcuffing him to the wall.
On the show, he also drew viewers’ ire from his feud with Loose Women’s Charlene White.
He was the fourth celebrity to be eliminated, finishing eighth.
Caitlyn Jenner (2019) - £500,000
The reality TV icon was paid handsomely, with producers likely hoping she would spill the tea on the Kardashian-Jenner clan.
On the show, she was very candid about her experience of coming out as trans, and ended up finishing sixth.
Noel Edmonds (2018) - £600,000
Ironically, Edmonds was paid £600k to spend just eight days in the jungle, coming in as a late arrival on day five and being the first to be eliminated on day 13.
He later told ITV’s Lorraine he was ‘disappointed’ to be shown the door so early, in spite of his burgeoning friendship with Harry Redknapp.
Nigel Farage (2023) - £1.5 million
The man many think could be the future UK prime minister was one of the most controversial signings in I’m a Celeb history - and the joint most expensive.
He did end up getting into political spats with several campmates, including Fred Sirieix and Nella Rose, but viewers ended up taking to him. He finished third.
Coleen Rooney (2024) - £1.5 million
Coming in off the back of her Wagatha Christy fame, Rooney shares the top spot with Farage, and ended up coming in second place to boot.
On the show, she mostly steered clear of talking about her feud with Rebekah Vardy, but did end up calling Donald Trump a ‘dirty bastard’ at one point, as well as opening up about her marital strife with Wayne.
Topics: Im A Celebrity, TV, Entertainment, TV and Film, ITV
Michael Slavin