A Prank That Almost Derailed the Show
A prank pulled by a contestant on I’m A Celebrity… South Africa nearly caused two contestants to quit the show before it even began. The ITV reality series is set to return to screens on Monday with a new all-star cast, including Gemma Collins, Sinitta, Olympian Sir Mo Farah, former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt, and Pussycat Dolls singer Ashley Roberts.
However, the series, which is pre-recorded, almost saw Gemma Collins walk away early after falling for a practical joke by former football manager Harry Redknapp.
Recalling the prank at a press roundtable, Sinitta said: “I think we’d done really hard trials all day, or some sort of game, so we were physically exhausted. We got back, and we’re all relieved [that] nothing else can happen now, because they’ve exhausted us; it’s getting dark now, it’s getting late, so that must be it, we can relax.”
The 62-year-old singer and actress said Harry, who won the show in 2018, told his fellow campmates the challenge would involve rats and being tied up, among other things.
“We’re already broken [and] literally before he could finish reading it out, Gemma was like, ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here,’” she continued. “I have to admit, my hand went up that I was like, ‘You know what? me too, I’m too exhausted, gotta go.’”
However, before things got any further, Harry revealed that he was pranking them.
Gemma Collins’ Return to the Jungle
Gemma, who famously appeared on the series in 2014 but lasted only three days in the Australian jungle, has since become a meme icon. She has admitted that, despite “hating it,” her scenes made for “TV gold,” prompting her to give it another try.
As a result of her very premature exit, former boxer David Haye, who also appears in the upcoming series, did not have high hopes for her second stint. However, he praised her for taking part in some “real heavy challenges,” saying: “She was the one that I was told going into it that she kind of flaked out the first time around, and I didn’t have high hopes. But of all the people watching her go through what she went through, she doesn’t have an ounce of quit in her at all.”
“Whatever she did the first time round, she obviously looked back; a few years have gone by, and she’s like, ‘I’m going to give it everything.’ Fortunately for the show, she did, because she was part of some real heavy challenges that she should be proud of herself.”
New Cast and Exciting Changes
Gemma, however, exclusively shared a major spoiler ahead of the new series, which also stars comedian Seann Walsh, Red Dwarf’s Craig Charles, ex-footballer Jimmy Bullard, Coronation Street star Beverley Callard, and actor Adam Thomas.
Hosted by Ant and Dec, this year’s show will give the public the power to cast their vote for the winner in a live grand final broadcast direct from London. This will crown the “ultimate legend 2026.” In the first series, Myleene Klass emerged victorious, with her win decided by a challenge. Ultimately, she defeated series 16 campmate Jordan Banjo in the final survival trial, but this time, it’s down to the viewers.
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa starts on April 6 at 9pm on ITV1 and airs every weeknight, Monday to Friday.
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