Wayne Rooney could lose £800k I'm A Celebrity fee by third episode due to contract clause
Wayne Rooney could miss out on his £800k I'm a Celebrity... payday if he fails to meet this one contract clause.
The Manchester United legend has clearly been inspired by wife Coleen's popular stint on the ITV series, as it's now been confirmed that he will be heading Down Under, joining stars such as Chloe Burrows, Joanna Page and Ade Adepitan in the jungle.
Rooney of course isn't planning to spend several weeks living off basic rations and being voted by the public to take part in various grim Bushtucker Trials out of the goodness of his heart, as he'll be getting paid a tidy £800k appearance fee in exchange for sleeping under the stars and guzzling delicacies such as bull tongue or crocodile anus.
That is, if he's able to remain in the jungle for the first 72 hours...
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I'm a Celebrity... appearance fee rule explained
In order to make sure that contestants don't collect their appearance fee and then dip at the first available moment, ITV are widely reported to have a 72-hour rule requiring campmates to stay in the jungle for three days if they want to pocket the cash.
Although ITV has never explicitly confirmed the rule's existence, it makes sense to give celebrities some incentive to stay in the jungle after they reach Australia and realise that living in the jungle is not quite the lifestyle they're accustomed to.
So, in short, celebrities will need to remain in the jungle for three days after the series kicks off next Monday (16 November) or risk losing their cash.
The rumoured rule doesn't just apply to Rooney either, with the rest of the 2026 campmates at risk of losing the following appearance fees:
- Ricky Wilson - £175k
- AJ Odudu - £150k
- Joanna Page - £150k
- Leigh Francis - £150k
- Ade Adepitan - £100k
- Claire Sweeney - £100k
- Mariella Frostrop - £100k
- Chloe Burrows - £75k
- Leomie Anderson - £75k
- Sharky - £75k
- Jack Skipper - £50k
I'm a Celebrity... contestants who've left the jungle within 72 hours
While rare, a small handful of celebrities have exited the jungle within the first three days.
Most famously, Olivia Attwood, with the former Love Islander forced to leave the series prematurely in 2022 after spending 48 hours on the show.
It was later revealed that the 34-year-old left on medical grounds after it became apparent that she was suffering from anaemia and needed to undergo further testing.
While Attwood is yet to make a second go at jungle life, the 35-year-old has often toyed with the idea of a second appearance, previously telling Pete Wicks and Sam Thompson that her early exit was 'the worst thing that’s happened to me in this industry'.
READ MORE: I'm A Celebrity 2026: Start date, time and how to watch
Meanwhile, season five's contestant Elaine Lordan holds the title as the campmate who lasted the shortest amount of time in the jungle, as the EastEnders actor was forced to withdraw after fainting twice within just 24 hours.
Topics: I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here News and Rumours, Wayne Rooney, ITV, Entertainment
Brenna Cooper
