I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here has returned to the Australian jungle and our screens this weekend, and we are set for more hilarious and challenging Bushtucker Trials under the expert presenting of Ant and Dec.
After two years of being hosted in a Welsh castle, the celebs are back in Australia – and as this is the 20th year of the show, we can expect some wild shenanigans out there.
While the show only started this weekend, the camp has already seen it’s share of drama – most notably that Olivia Attwood has had to drop out in the first 24 hours, citing health reasons with the camp doctors stating that further investigations need to be done and it isn’t medically safe for her to continue.
What this does mean, however, is that we are going to get two new celebs in the jungle sooner than we might have thought – Matt Hancock and Seann Walsh.
Choosing who to back is a difficult one though, and the favourites change daily as the participants face new challenges and interact with their camp mates.
The Favourites So Far
As the celebs line up to take their turns facing their fears of spiders, heights, and small spaces in order to win stars for the camp, we take a look at the favourites to be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle in 2022 according to odds taken from bestbettingsites.com.
Mike Tindall
Mike Tindall has always been a great bet for the crown in this season, not least because his marriage to Princess Zara makes him already a Royal, and in fact the first member of the Royal Family to get involved with the show. He has already proven himself to be fun and entertaining and seems ready to take on the trials that he knows are coming.
Jill Scott
A new favourite is the retired England Lioness Jill Scott. Having worked with the England team that lifted the European Cup this year, Jill knows what teamwork is all about and has already demonstrated that she is ready to get stuck in to support those around her.
Boy George
Of course, Boy George is already one of the most likeable people to enter the jungle and will likely get the votes from people who loved him as the pop icon frontman of Culture Club. The bookies might not follow suit however, and it doesn’t seem that many are betting on him now as he slips down in odds.
Matt Hancock
Olivia Attwood might have been an early contender, but since she had to leave the jungle, her replacement might prove to be a better bet – if only for the amount of media coverage his entrance into the jungle has had. Matt Hancock, former health secretary, has decided to enter the jungle – and in doing so has lost his Tory whip, making him no longer part of the Conservative Party. This decision has puzzled a lot of people; nobody really knows what made him decide to come to Australia and get involved in the challenges – but one thing is for sure, the mainstream media are very interested in his involvement.
Seann Walsh
As Seann Walsh is also on his way to the jungle, some of the interest will come from viewers who are interested to see if he is likely to repeat what happened when he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2017 – that kiss had a lasting impact on his dance partner’s life as well as his own comedy career. This could well be the comeback he needs, and he is likely to want to make a good impression on fans of the show to ditch those bad memories forever.
Owen Warner
While pundits might have been writing him off early on, Owen Warner from Hollyoaks has already made an impact with fans of the show thanks to his accidental humour – he has started to come across as a bit slow on the uptake which was demonstrated when he didn’t know who Scarlette Douglas was, and when Boy George told him that she is from A Place in the Sun, Owen asked where that was.
Past Winners
There have been 21 winners of I’m A Celeb, from all different celebrity backgrounds – pop stars, sports personalities, and TV presenters have all worn the crown. The past winners include Tony Blackburn and Phill Tufnell, Joe Pasquale, and Gino D’Acampo, as well as Kerry Katona, Carol Thatcher, and the lovely Giovanna Fletcher. Every winner was chosen by fans because they felt a connection to them, or they were entertained by them.