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Maura Higgins has extremely awkward link to fellow I'm A Celeb campmate as she enters jungle

Maura Higgins has extremely awkward link to fellow I'm A Celeb campmate as she enters jungle

Two of this year's I'm A Celeb castmates were once very closely connected

Maura Higgins is set for a potentially awkward reunion on tonight's episode of I'm A Celeb due to her existing link with one of the other campmates.

Higgins is joining Reverend Richard Coles in being parachuted into the jungle in tonight's episode of I'm A Celeb, with the pair representing the two latecomers to the show.

Higgins is most well known for her time on Love Island, where she appeared in the iconic fifth season.

As well as Higgin,s Tommy Fury, Molly Mae Hague, Amber Gill, and Curtis Pritchard all appeared on the same season.

Her and Coles will both be appearing in their first episode tonight - and given her entrance as a bombshell to Love Island, being a late addition is something the reality TV star is likely familiar with.

Since her time on Love Island, Higgins has taken part in Dancing on Ice, hosted the Irish version of Glow Up and is the host of Love Island USA: Aftersun.

It seems Maura Higgins is heading into the jungle (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
It seems Maura Higgins is heading into the jungle (Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Before she made her name in TV, however, Higgins worked as a ring girl for several professional boxers including the likes of Anthony Joshua.

During that time, she began dating boxing coach Shane McGuigan when he was commentating on a match in 2018.

READ MORE: I'M A CELEB WINNER SHARES COMMON LINK WITH MAURA HIGGINS THAT COULD SEE HER CHANCES OF WINNING BOOSTED

Things didn’t quite work out between the pair though, reportedly due to the distance with Higgins living in Ireland and travelling for work while McGuigan was based in London.

But while he might not be heading into the jungle to go on I’m a Celeb, his dad, Barry McGuigan is.

Yeah, sounds awkward right?

Shane and Barry McGuigan (Dave M. Benett/WireImage)
Shane and Barry McGuigan (Dave M. Benett/WireImage)

Although, it doesn’t seem like it was too much of a deep relationship between the pair as, according to The Sun, a source at the time said: “They went on a few dates and had fun, but Maura lives in Ireland.

“Shane is running his successful boxing gym in London, and then she was travelling for work, so it wasn’t easy to pull off.”

There supposedly weren’t any ‘hard feelings’ when it ended and it was pretty ‘short-lived’ - so who knows if Higgins ever met the boxing promoter dad?

McGuigan was also apparently also a bit of a late casting for ITV himself as he reportedly replaced fellow boxing star Ally McCoist.

LADbible has previously contacted Higgin's reps and ITV for comment.

I’m A Celeb 2024 line-up:

· Coleen Rooney

· Danny Jones

· Oti Mabuse

· Alan Halsall

· GK Barry

· Dean McCullough

· Tulisa

· Jane Moore

· Melvin Odoom

· Maura Higgins

· Barry McGuigan

· Rev Richard Coles

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Featured Image Credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for The National Lottery/ITV

Topics: Maura Higgins, Love Island, Tommy Fury, TV, TV and Film