Two new stars enter the I’m a Celeb jungle
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I’m a Celebrity is in full swing, with ten contestants spending their fourth night in the Australian wilderness.
This week, Irish DJ and BBC radio presenter Dean McCullough let down Ant and Dec during a Bushtucker Trial, but GK Barry left fans astounded with her impressive performance. On Wednesday (20 November), the duo took on another challenge called “Drown in the Dumps,” where they worked to earn yellow stars for their fellow campers.
To add even more excitement, two newcomers made an unexpected entrance in the most recent episode of the show.
Following numerous rumors and discussions, it has been officially revealed that Love Island personality Maura Higgins will be joining the show as a late contestant.
"I really don't know what time it is or where I am," she shared in an interview with The Mirror. "Honestly, I've actually done the opposite of getting ready for the jungle. I've been avoiding thinking about it because whenever I do, it makes me extremely anxious."
She would become the second contestant from the island, following Olivia Atwood, to join the show.
"I really don't want to disappoint anyone, especially since I've been getting so many direct messages from people saying, 'I can't wait to see you in the show!' I just can't imagine pulling out of the auditions and coming off as a coward."
In tonight's episode, writer and broadcaster Reverend Richard Coles joined Higgins. Coles gained fame as a member of the band The Communards, which was popular in the 1980s.
He became interested in religion during his twenties, following the loss of friends to HIV. In the 1990s, he pursued a Bachelor’s degree in theology at King’s College. Ultimately, he was ordained as a priest in 2005.
This comes during a difficult year for the Reverend, who experienced the passing of his mother in February and then faced the heartbreak of losing both of his dogs on the same day in August.
The former Church of England parish priest experienced the heartbreaking loss of his husband, Reverend David Coles, only days before Christmas in 2019. David passed away at the age of 43 due to liver disease linked to his struggle with alcohol addiction.
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In his 2021 memoir, The Madness of Grief: A Memoir of Love and Loss, Coles expressed how difficult it was to watch someone he cared about self-destruct.
It's as if a person is struggling to stay afloat, and you offer them a lifesaver, but they refuse to grab hold of it.
“I explored every option I could think of to help him quit drinking, and to be fair, he made an effort as well. However, it ultimately became overwhelming for him.”
In March 2023, he left his position on Radio 4's Saturday Live after serving there for 12 years.
Fresh episodes of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! are broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX every evening at 9 PM.
