Meet the I'm A Celebrity 2023 campmates
Meet the I’m A Celeb 2023 campmates: From Nigel Farage, Jamie Lynn Spears and Danielle Harold – in show’s most outspoken line-up EVER
The full lineup for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2023 has been unveiled and it features some of the show’s most outspoken characters ever.
Leading this year’s campmates are Fred Sirieix, Grace Dent, Danielle Harold, Marvin Humes and Josie Gibson, with the stars seen in their jungle garb for the first time in new photographs.
Also preparing for a stint in the Australian outback are Jamie Lynn Spears, Sam Thompson, Nella Rose, Nigel Farage and Nick Pickard.
The 10 celebrities will be seen for the first time on Sunday night’s launch show when they meet Ant and Dec and prepare to kick off three weeks of living with creepy crawlies and Bushtucker Trials.
One controversial campmate this year is former leader of the Brexit Party, Nigel, who will be hoping to mimic the success of Matt Hancock last year, who went from being one of the most despised campmates to finishing in third place.
One to watch: The full lineup for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2023 has been unveiled ahead of Sunday’s launch show and it features some of the show’s most outspoken characters ever
Dynamic duo: The 10 celebrities will be seen for the first time on Sunday night’s launch show when they meet Ant and Dec (pictured) and prepare to kick off three weeks of living with creepy crawlies and Bushtucker Trials
Nigel is the latest in a long list of political figures to try their luck on the ITV reality show, including MPs Nadine Dorries and Lembit Opik, and Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley.
Yet many would argue that he has more critics than his predecessors, with his controversial political views changing the face of Britain and dividing the nation/
While some hail him a ‘hero’, others brand him ‘toxic scum’ and so Nigel is hoping his jungle stint will change the public’s perception of him and prove he isn’t ‘nasty’ and a ‘little Englander’.
He will have to complete gruelling tasks involving eating pigs’ testicles and close encounters with snakes.
Explaining why he was taking part in the show, Nigel said: ‘Given millions hate me, I do expect people will vote for me to do trials but I have been demonised over the years and so it will be nice to show people I am not nasty.’
He also said he was keen to ‘test’ himself and maybe ‘discover who I really am.’
‘I want to test myself. Business, politics, media, I’ve done so many different jobs and generally I have been reasonably successful,’ he said.
‘But I have never been tested in quite this way. It’s such a mental test and maybe I will discover who I really am.
‘I understood why Matt Hancock did it. He went in there with his reputation on the floor.
‘The truth is after the banking issue I raised a few months ago, I was standing up for a million people who had lost their bank accounts, then winning at the TRIC awards, I am going in at a different stage of my career.’
Controversial: Former leader of the Brexit Party, Nigel Farage, will be hoping to mimic the success of Matt Hancock last year, who went from being one of the most despised campmates to finishing in third place
Plenty to say: Also hoping to show the public ‘who I truly am’ is the pop star Britney Spears’ younger sister, Jamie Lynn, 32, who suggested she could be set to spill details on her rift with her famous sister
Not just a pretty face: Another campmate hoping to show off a different side to themselves is EastEnders actress Danielle Harold, 31, who is determined to dispel the dumb blonde stereotype and get stuck in the action
Arrivals! This week the stars have been seen slowly arriving Down Under (L-R: Nigel Farage, Fred Sirieix and Danielle Harold)
Nigel said he was prepared to be voted to do most trials as ‘millions’ hate him, although he is hoping to dispel the preconceptions.
‘The idea that somehow the things I represent – mean-spirited, small-minded, nasty, the ‘little Englander’ – all those accusations that have been flung at me over the years just aren’t true,’ he said.
‘If we can dispel some of those misconceptions, then that will be a good thing too.’
It seems public opinion on the former Brexit Party leader is already changing amongst some members of Generation Z as his TikTok page which debates topics such as smoking legislation, transgender rights and immigration has racked up 6.5 million likes.
Nigel is likely to be an inflammatory figure within the I’m A Celebrity camp as the First Dates host, Fred, who previously expressed his dislike for the politician – calling him a ‘coward’ – will star alongside him.
Also hoping to show the public ‘who I truly am’ is the pop star Britney Spears’ younger sister, Jamie Lynn, 32, who suggested she could be set to spill details on her rift with her famous sister.
The pop icon’s misgivings towards her younger sister were laid bare in recent autobiography The Woman In Me, in which she claimed Jamie Lynn had refused her plea for help after Britney was admitted to a residential treatment facility, purportedly against her will.
Jamie Lynn has expressed her own issues with the singer in 2022 warts-and-all memoir Things I Should Have Said: Family, Fame, and Figuring it Out.
Speaking about her imminent jungle stint, she said: ‘It takes a lot to hurt my feelings. Unless you are my children or my immediate family, nothing is going to hurt me. I can take a lot of s*** and it doesn’t get me down.
‘I think it’s a good quality to have in a place where a lot of stuff is thrown at you.
‘When they approached me, the first thing I had to do was talk it over with my family and my kids to make sure they were ok about me being gone for this amount of time. Once I got the all-clear from everybody, I was like, “Yeah, let’s go.”’
She added: ‘Sharing stories around the campfire? I am looking forward to that.’
Breaking free: Fellow soap star Nick Pickard, 48, is keen to let the public know the real him after playing Tony Hutchinson in Hollyoaks for a whopping three decades
Time out: Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson, 31, is most looking forward to a digital detox in the jungle, explaining, ‘To be able to throw the phone away and get in the wild will be so cool. I spend my whole life on my phone’
In for a shock: This Morning presenter Josie Gibson, 38, is not as optimistic about how much she’ll enjoy the jungle, confessing, ‘I am dreading the insects and it’s my biggest phobia. I also don’t like spiders and I freeze normally when I see one’
Yum: More worried about the lack of food is First Dates star Fred Sirieix, 51, confessing, ‘It’s a challenge to be away from my friends, family, comfort, only drinking water, no coffee, no wine, no mustard on my steak and – in fact – no steak!’
Here come the girls! Josie Gibson (left) and Grace Dent touch down at Brisbane Airport this week
Reality star: MIC’s Sam Thompson looked in great spirits as he arrived in Australia for the show
Cool: JLS star Marvin Humes arrived at the airport too this week ahead of the long journey
Britney has gone back and forth between seemingly despising her sister and sharing her love for her publicly in recent months.
Although she initially blasted every member of her family in the final days of her conservatorship and the immediate aftermath of its dissolution, she has occasionally reached out with public olive branches on social media.
In September, TMZ reported that the songwriter was ‘fully supportive’ of her sister joining Dancing With The Stars, even though several of Britney’s fans blasted Jamie Lynn for joining the competitive show, as they thought she was merely riding on her older sister’s coattails.
Britney was given advance notice about her sister joining the show, and she not only ‘took it well’ but was reportedly ‘excited’ about the development.
However, Jamie Lynn only made it two week two before she was voted off the show. It’s unclear if Britney’s fans, some of whom had pledged to try to vote her off, played a decisive role in the move, but she had received fairly strong scores from the judging panel.
Another campmate hoping to show off a different side to themselves is EastEnders actress Danielle, 31.
She explained: ‘I am a little bit ditzy but I am definitely not the dumb blonde of, “Oh look she won’t want to get involved or do that.” In fact, that is the opposite to me. I want to do the different challenges and I can’t wait to do the Deals on Wheels challenge!’
Danielle – whose soap character Lola Pearce was written out with a moving brain cancer storyline – added: ‘It’s been a crazy, crazy year and so why not top it off with the craziest thing ever by doing this?!
‘It’s definitely a shock to the system and I am both excited and nervous. This is so much tougher than anything or any role I have ever done before as it is all so new.’
Fellow soap star Nick, 48, is keen to let the public know the real him after playing Tony Hutchinson in Hollyoaks for a whopping three decades.
He said: ‘It will be nice to go in as me and not as my Hollyoaks character. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and as soon as I was approached, I said yes. I am not quitting Hollyoaks to take part. My bosses have been really supportive of me doing it.
‘Now it is getting near to going into camp, I am so excited. I am obviously not looking forward to eating kangaroo balls but at the same time, I am looking forward to the trials – that’s the fun part of doing this show. I love the ones where you climb up or jump for a star. And I like ones getting submerged in water.
‘I can’t wait now! This is so out of my comfort zone and it’s the best show you can do.’
Oh dear: Fred will no doubt have plenty in common with fellow foodie Grace Dent, 50, with the MasterChef star and food critic admitting, ‘I am especially dreading being really hungry because I tend to eat four or five posh meals out a week’
Challenge: JLS singer Marvin Humes, 38, has been having sleepless nights in the lead up to the jungle, sharing: ‘This is the most daring thing I have ever done and I have never challenged myself this way before
Going in the deep end: Rounding off the 2023 lineup is YouTuber Nella, 26, who is in for a shock in the jungle as she’s never even gone camping before
Ready to go! Nella arrived at the airport in style this week ahead of the show
Made In Chelsea star Sam, 31, is most looking forward to a digital detox in the jungle, explaining: ‘To be able to throw the phone away and get in the wild will be so cool. I spend my whole life on my phone and so I am looking forward to getting stuck in.’
Speaking about his Love Island star girlfriend Zara McDermott, he added: ‘She’s really happy for me too. She is proud. We haven’t chatted too much about it in the run up as she has been doing Strictly and I haven’t wanted to make it about me.’
He insists the long hours spent in camp won’t make him bored nor will the chores prove too tricky, saying: ‘If they want me to cook, I will put my hand up, if they want me to clean, I will scrub those pans.
‘You can’t be bored in there, it’s the jungle. I am never going to do this again, and so I want to be “in the moment” and enjoy everything. When I am 80-years-old, I want to be able to tell my grandkids all about it.’
This Morning presenter Josie, 38, is not as optimistic about how much she’ll enjoy the jungle, confessing: ‘I am dreading the insects and it’s my biggest phobia. I also don’t like spiders and I freeze normally when I see one. My family thinks I am mad doing the programme.’
Josie revealed that she’d been speaking to co-star and former campmate Alison Hammond, saying: ‘I know she will be rooting for me. She has told me to try my hardest.
‘Everyone at This Morning says I am going to love it. In fact, they are the ones who have really enticed me to do it! They are very supportive and I am going to miss them all.’
READ MORE: I’m A Celebrity ‘is thrown into chaos after a soap star is forced to pull out just DAYS before filming kicks off’
Admitting she’s worried about the lack of food in camp, she added: ‘I have never let myself get so hungry before that I have been hangry. People might have to calm me down but I have been trying to build up my endurance and stamina in the run-up to this!’
Another one worried about the lack of food is First Dates star Fred, 51, confessing: ‘It’s a challenge to be away from my friends, family, comfort, only drinking water, no coffee, no wine, no mustard on my steak and – in fact – no steak!
‘I am seeing this as a wellness retreat. It’s an opportunity to get closer to myself inside my head and to see life through a different lens and in a place I feel uncomfortable.
‘It’s all going to be hard, but it’s good to do things that take you out of your comfort zone. I have been training harder than I have trained in the last three or four years. I go to the gym, I go to boxing, I train like a machine – that’s my way to cope with doing I’m A Celebrity. This isn’t a 100m race. You are going in for the long haul.
‘But what I am looking forward to is being away from the phone and emails. The phone is my biggest addiction.’
Fred will no doubt have plenty in common with fellow foodie Grace, 50, with the MasterChef star and food critic admitting: ‘I am especially dreading being really hungry because I tend to eat four or five posh meals out a week because I am a restaurant critic.
‘I know they are going to give me an eating trial and I am dreading putting even worse things in my mouththan I have in the past in fancy restaurants! I think I will be writing very stiff columns about the jungle food when I come out!
‘Will I cook there? Yes, I am a practical cook but it is not cooking as we know it in the jungle. What makes food is herbs and spices and I am not going to have any ingredients. I don’t know how you are going to make an alligator’s foot taste delicious if there are no spices.
‘I can already imagine the dinner I am going to have the moment I get out. I am going to go to a really fancy restaurant and have something delicious, wearing a lovely dress.’
Speaking about her personal struggles, she added: ‘I have been through a really difficult time over the last four or five years. My dad had dementia, I cared for him and I lost him. Mum had cancer and I lost her. I think that this has made me very strong and resilient. This is going to be a big challenge and now I am older, life is for living and it’s one of the reasons why I said yes.’
JLS singer Marvin, 38, has been having sleepless nights in the lead up to the jungle, sharing: ‘This is the most daring thing I have ever done and I have never challenged myself this way before. It’s one million per cent harder than performing on stage and I woke up with knots in my stomach this morning thinking about it.
‘But this programme has been on my bucket list for years. It’s the first time I’ve been asked to do it so I jumped at the opportunity. Most people know me for being a quarter of JLS but there is a lot more to me.
‘I’ve not put myself out there like this before and I know I will want to try and win as many stars as possible for my campmates and my family watching. I would never have said yes if I wasn’t a team player.’
Revealing his three children with wife Rochelle Humes – daughters Alaia-Mai, 10, Valentina, six, and son Blake, three – are his motivation, he added: ‘I don’t easily cry. But if the kids send me a letter saying how much they miss me, I know I will be bawling my eyes out. I can’t go a day without seeing or speaking to them. It’s going to be super tough.’
Rounding off the 2023 lineup is YouTuber Nella, 26, who is in for a shock in the jungle as she’s never even gone camping before.
She confessed: ‘My family have been laughing hysterically ever since I told them I was taking part… I am scared of everything from red ants, tarantulas to rats or ostriches.
‘A daddy long-legs once flew into my room and I moved out. I was living in my living room and so my family think I am in for a shock.
‘I am terrified but I’m trying to think of the bigger picture. In this life, you have to face up to your fears. Yes I might scream the whole time but I am going to think about feeding human beings and I am going to try my best.’
Set your alarms: I’m A Celebrity launches on Sunday, November 19 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX
Late arrivals? Retired jockey Frankie Dettori and boxer Tony Bellew have also been rumoured to be potential campmates but do not feature in the official cast photograph, suggesting they will be entering the camp at a later stage
Retired jockey Frankie Dettori and boxer Tony Bellew have also been rumoured to be potential campmates.
While they do not feature in the official cast photograph there are always late arrivals to the show, so their lack of inclusion doesn’t mean they are officially out of the running.
Josie is the bookies’ favourite to be crowned this year’s Queen of the Jungle after she won the nation’s hearts and votes during her 2010 Big Brother appearance.
Her fun-loving charisma meant the fellow housemates selected her to receive a ticket to the final and Josie won with 77 percent of the public vote – the highest score out of any other series.
She became a household name earlier this year when she stepped in to present This Morning alongside Holly Willoughby after Phillip Schofield was ousted.
I’m A Celebrity launches on Sunday, November 19 at 9pm on ITV.
I’m A Celebrity 2023: Meet the campmates
NIGEL FARAGE
Claim to fame: Former leader of the UK Independence Party and leader of the Brexit Party.
Phobias: Nobody likes rats, snakes and I am dreading anything to do with heights.
Biggest misconception you want to dispel?: I have been demonised over the years and so it will be nice to show people I am not nasty.
Role in camp: Lead on starting up plenty of campfire discussions.
Aside from your family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp?: A pint in the pub and the news.
Best & worst attributes: I hope to cheer people up when they are down. Worst? I am impatient and I do snore.
Dream camper: As a controversial political media figure, I never name names… But I am looking forward to meeting interesting people from all different fields
DANIELLE HAROLD
Claim to fame: EastEnders actress.
Phobias: Rats. I hate them!
Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle?: I can be a little ditzy at times but I am definitely not a ‘dumb blonde’. I want to show I can do the trials, challenges and get stuck in.
Role in camp: Shoulder to cry on, help others if they are feeling low in camp.
Aside from family, what will you miss most whilst in camp?: Snacking. I am a little muncher and I am going to miss my morning cup of tea, too!
Best & worst attributes: I’d like to think I will be good if people are really struggling. I am not, however, very good at being bored, nor am I a morning person either.
Dream camper: Ed Sheeran. If he brings his guitar into camp, he can sing for us.
FRED SIRIEIX
Claim to fame: First Dates star.
Phobias: I am scared of everything. I am dying to find out how vile the food will be!
Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle?: I don’t think there is anything but I am looking forward to learning more about myself during my time in the camp.
Role in camp: I will definitely muck in with all the jobs. I don’t mind cooking or cleaning the toilets.
Aside from your family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp? My bed. It’s super comfy. I will also miss a cup of coffee in the morning.
Best & worst attributes: I like to have fun but I do snore and I am impatient!
Dream camper: It’s going to be nice to meet everyone but I’d love to see Dolly Parton, The Rock or Snoop Dog in there.
NELLA ROSE
Claim to fame: YouTuber and Catfish UK star.
Phobias: I am fearful of everything!
Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle? I am a pretty open book.
Role in camp: Keep the morale and humour high.
Aside from your family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp? My phone… I am always on it!
Dream camper: Alison Hammond or Adele.
NICK PICKARD
Claim to fame: Hollyoaks star.
Phobias: I am a bit scared of the dark. When you go to the House of Horrors at Halloween and things jump out at you, I am not very good when I can’t see!
Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle: It will be nice to go in as me and not as my Hollyoaks character.
Role in camp: Grafter or chef, I am quite good at cooking. But I’ve never cooked on a fire before. Aside from family, what will you miss most whilst in camp: Football and my creature comforts.
Best & worst attributes: I’d like to think I am a nice person and a good team player. I am not lazy but I do have a few bad habits like picking my nose. My girlfriend has been trying to train me to stop!
Dream camper: Sir Alex Ferguson or Neil Warnock.
JAMIE LYNN SPEARS
Claim to fame: Zoey 101 and Sweet Magnolias star.
Phobias: I am scared of everything.
Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle?: I think this is a nice chance to show who I really am.
Role in camp: Hopefully I will be the one who can support everyone.
Aside from family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp? A normal bathroom, air conditioning and my bed.
Best & worst attributes: I think my best quality is it takes a lot to hurt my feelings; but I am impatient and my family would say I get in a bad mood a lot.
Dream camper: Nicole Kidman, she is my favourite actress in the whole wide world, or Reece Witherspoon.
SAM THOMPSON
Claim to fame: Made In Chelsea star and radio presenter.
Phobias: I am not a creepy crawly guy and I hate anyone or anything touching my neck.
Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle?: Since the age of 21, I’ve spent my whole life on TV and so I feel whether people have a good or bad opinion of me, it’s probably warranted!
Role in camp: I’m a ‘yes’ man so cooking, cleaning I will do whatever they want me to do.
Aside from family, what will you miss most whilst in camp?: I know this sounds lame but gaming.
Best & worst attributes: I’d like to think I am the court jester and I don’t take things too seriously, so if anyone is having a bad day I would like to put a smile on their face. Worst? I am quite forgetful and I am bad at focusing on things.
Dream camper: Stephen Fry. I think I would self-combust if he was going in the jungle!
JOSIE GIBSON
Claim to fame: This Morning presenter.
Phobias: Insects and I freeze every time I see a spider and I am not sure what I am going to do if I am in a trial with them!
Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle?: I would like people to know I am very clever at knowing useless information!
Role in camp: Mum. I am very motherly and I also love chatting to people.
Aside from family, what will you miss most whilst in camp?: Getting up to blow dry my hair and putting a bit of make-up on!
Best & worst attributes: I am an optimist and I love meeting people from all walks of life. Worst? I can be quite nosey and I am worried about my temper if I am too hungry.
Dream camper: Dawn French, I love her.
MARVIN HUMES
Claim to fame: JLS star.
Phobias: Heights. I have pulled out of a skydive with JLS in the past because I was too scared!
Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle: To show I am not just a member of a boy band. It will be nice for people to learn more about me.
Role in camp: I’d like to think I will be a shoulder to cry on and a mediator.
Aside from family, what will you miss most whilst in camp?: My fantasy football app! I am obsessed with it! Four weeks without music is a long time, too.
Best & worst attributes: I’ve got three children under the age of ten and you definitely need a lot of patience for that! Worst? Rochelle would probably say I get ‘hangry’ if I don’t have enough food.
Dream camper: Paddy McGuinness – I’ve done Soccer Aid with him before and I know he’s funny, he gets stuck in and he is hands on.
GRACE DENT
Claim to fame: MasterChef star and food critic.
Phobias: Horrible people.
Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle: People think I am quite forthright and scary but I don’t think I am scary! Hopefully people will see this.
Role in camp: Shoulder to cry on and I am a practical cook so I can help out.
Aside from your family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp? My three cats and my make-up bag. I love a bit of glamour.
Best & worst attributes: I would like to think I am funny! My worst quality is lack of sleep. I like my sleep.
Dream camper: Queen Camilla. She would be very practical. And Madonna – she could perform tracks from her Greatest Hits tour!
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