IN just a matter of days a group of very famous faces will be setting up home in the jungle.
The cast of I’m A Celebrity 2022 have started to arrive in Australia and are ready to swap glamour for camping – after isolating for seven days due to continued Covid rules.
Ant and Dec will meet this year’s I’m A Celeb stars in just a matter of days
A royal will be sharing the dunny with soap stars, while pop legends will be whipping up rice and beans for a sporting legend.
Presenters Ant McPartlin, 46, and Declan Donnelly, 47, touched down this week and are ready to rumble in the jungle as the ITV show returns Down Under for the first two series.
During the pandemic, ITV relocated to medieval Gwrych Castle in Wales, but fans made it clear that they were desperate to see the celebs back among the creepy crawlies Down Under.
And a first look promo for the upcoming series promises to be bigger and better than ever before.
Now HOAR can reveal the initial ten stars who will be giving up their home comforts for three weeks – with others including controversial comedian Seann Walsh expected to join them in the outback once the series gets going.
An ITV spokesman said: “We will announce our line-up nearer to transmission.”
Here’s who we’ll be voting for to take part in the most gruesome challenges yet…
Owen Warner
Owen Warner is swapping Hollyoaks for the jungle
Owen, who has played Romeo Nightingale in the Channel 4 soap since 2018, was one of the first stars to sign up for the series.
Owen – a former love of Geordie Shore party animal Chloe Ferry and Stephanie Davies – is no stranger to showing off his six-pack on social media, so is bound to be a hit in the famous jungle waterfall shower.
A telly source said: “Owen is so excited to be in the mix. He’s never done anything like this, and it would catapult his profile to a new level.
“His abs are on-point so he wouldn’t be shy about showing off his bod.”
I thought I had dementia because I kept forgetting things, but it was the menopause, says Sam and Billie Faier’s very glam mum
Boy George
Boy George has finally agreed to take part
HOAR revealed that Karma Chameleon singer, 61, who shot to fame in the Eighties with Culture Club, will be heading Down Under.
A telly source said: “Boy George is a real coup for producers, there is a lot of excitement in-house at ITV.
“The singer is renowned for his dry wit and frank delivery, he is always outspoken and will be hilarious value in camp.
“There is hope that he will regale viewers with his showbiz stories about his famous friends.
“While George is well acquainted with Australia after living in Sydney for several years, he has no experience of the Outback, so will be like a fish out of water living rough.”
But vegan George won’t be forced to eat insects in Bushtucker Trials and will be given meat and fish alternatives at camp meals.
Babatunde Aleshe
Comedian Babatunde Aleshe is swapping the sofa for the jungle
Comedian Babatunde Aleshe is swapping Mo Gilligan’s sofa for the Aussie jungle after signing up for I’m A Celebrity.
He impressed show bosses with his funny one-liners while sitting next to Mo on Celebrity Gogglebox.
Before making his name on the comedy circuit, Babatunde was an actor and had a small part on EastEnders, playing a nurse called Sam who looked after Tanya Branning during her cancer battle.
In recent years he has toured Britain doing stand up, winning Best Newcomer at the Black Entertainment Comedy Awards and performing at London’s O2 Arena and the Hackney Empire.
Olivia Attwood
Olivia Attwood is breaking barriers after landing a place on the show
Olivia is the first Love Island star to ever take part in I’m A Celebrity – ending the seven year ban on them joining the show.
The 31-year-old, was one of the biggest stars to emerge from Love Island, after pairing up with Chris Hughes, 29, in 2017, and went on to feature in ITVBe’s Towie.
A TV insider said: “Olivia is already viewed as a rising star on ITV and this is likely to serve as a launchpad for potentially fronting more mainstream shows with the broadcaster.”
Olivia, who is engaged to 28-year-old Blackburn Rovers footballer Bradley Dack, has just made a documentary on people who make money from sexual image online called Getting Filthy Rich.
She has previously endured bushtucker trials when she appeared on I’m A Celebrity’s spin off show, Extra Camp, as a special guest and was forced to eat sheep brains.
Charlene White
Charlene has a lot to bring to the table
Loose Women star Charlene, who has been an anchor on the daytime show since 2021, is ready to get up close to some creepy crawlies.
Bosses are hoping the newsreader and mum-of-two, 42, will give her fellow campmates a grilling.
An ITV source said: “She’s got some strong opinions, but is really personable and will be good value around the Aussie campfire.
“They hope her journalistic background means she will eke out some illuminating conversations from her campmates, which shouldn’t be hard given some of the people she’ll be sleeping in a bunk next to.”
Chris Moyles
Bosses are delighted to have Chris onboard
Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris is one of the biggest signings for the series.
Chris, who now hosts a show on Radio X, is said to be raring to go on I’m A Celebrity which will see him roughing it in the Australia jungle for three weeks.
A source said: “Chris is a huge signing for I’m A Celebrity and they have been trying to sign him for years.
“Previously he’s turned them down for a number of reasons but this year feels like the right time.”
Last year Chris admitted he would struggle on the show because of his crippling fear of heights.
Sue Cleaver
Sue is the latest Corrie star to take part
Actress Sue, 59 – who is known to millions as feisty Eileen Grimshaw – agreed to take part after ITV bosses offered her a bumper pay packet.
A source said: “Sue is a very much-loved Street legend and the bosses are delighted to have her as part of the line-up this year.
“She will be a brilliant addition, and is looking forward to really pushing out of her comfort zone and challenging herself in the jungle.”
Sue, who previously starred in Dinner Ladies, made her Corrie debut in May 2000 alongside screen sons Ryan Thomas and Bruno Langley.
She quickly became a favourite with fans as straight-talking single mum Eileen, who landed a job working the radio in taxi firm Street Cars.
And she has been at the centre of some of the cobbles’ most dramatic storylines, thanks to a long-running feud with Gail Platt (Helen Worth) and a series of turbulent romances.
Mike Tindall
Mike is the first royal to take part
Former England rugby ace Mike Tindall has agreed to be the first royal on prime time reality TV.
Mike, 43, is married to the late Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips.
Details of Mike’s deal remain a closely-guarded secret, but a source told HOAR: “It’s a massive coup. Mike has had a box seat for some of the most important moments in royal history for generations.
“He is sure to be discreet, but his sheer presence means this series will be an absolute must-watch.”
Mike, who lifted the 2003 World Cup with England, wed Zara in 2011.
The couple have three children — Mia, eight, Lena, four, and Lucas, one.
Mike has since become a key member of the royal inner-circle.
Jill Scott
Jill is taking part following her retirement
Lioness Jill Scott is ready to swap football for swigging fish guts.
The midfielder, 35, retired after playing in the game that beat Germany 2-1 in the Uefa Women’s Euro final in July.
But her expletives gained almost as much attention as her ball skills when a clip of her swearing at Germany’s Sydney Lohmann went viral.
A TV insider said: “Jill became an instant star following that memorable moment, with most Brits forgiving the minor outburst.”
“It was always rumoured that ITV wanted one of the team in the jungle and Jill is a natural choice.”
Scarlette Douglas
Scarlette Douglas is heading down under for I’m A Celeb
PROPERTY Guru and presenter Scarlette Douglas is getting ready to tackle a very different type of accommodation.
The A Place In HOAR star is more used to luxury holiday homes than a rough and ready campsite in the Aussie bush, but she could draw on her skills to give the famous set a bit of a spruce up.
Scarlette also hosts Worst House On The Street with her brother Stuart, which sees the siblings help homeowners transform run down properties into dream pads.
A source said: “Scarlette is bright and bubbly and bosses are confident she’ll shine on the show.
“She’s always up for a challenge and will definitely give it her all. She’ll definitely be one to watch.”
Seann Walsh
Seann Walsh is set to be a late addition to the camp
Strictly Come Dancing loverat Seann Walsh was a shock signing for this year’s series.
We told how ITV bosses had convinced the funnyman, 32, to join the series in the hope he will finally talk about his high-profile romance with married dance partner Katya Jones.
Seann and Katya stunned Strictly fans by snogging professional ballroom star Katya, which led to the end of Katya’s six-year marriage and his five-year relationship.
Seann is not one of the initial ten contestants, but insiders say he is expected to join the camp as a shock contestant once the series is in full swing.
ITV sources are not ruling out other surprise additions to the line-up, which usually features 12 stars.
