Jesy Nelson has reportedly pulled out of appearing on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! to care for her twin daughters, after their diagnosis with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
The former Little Mix star, 35, shared that her children had been diagnosed with type one of the rare genetic condition in January.
She is now said to have backed out of a six-figure appearance fee deal with ITV and reportedly did so with a ‘heavy heart’, as she hoped to raise awareness of SMA.
But a source has said that Nelson would ‘never leave her poorly twins’, indicating her children Ocean Jade and Story Monroe are not well enough for her to fly to Australia to film the show next month.
The source told The Sun: ‘Jesy was so excited about joining I’m A Celebrity, mainly because it was giving her a platform to continue her campaigning for SMA.
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‘It’s with a very heavy heart she has pulled out. Ocean and Story are unwell and there is no way Jesy would leave them. Her family are her priority.
‘ITV have been amazing and are supporting her all the way. The door will always be left open for Jesy.’
Nelson was one of the names rumoured to be taking part in the Ant and Dec survival-of-the-fittest reality series, alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney, Joanna Page and AJ Odudu.
Since the diagnosis of her children, Nelson has been campaigning for the condition to be added to the newborn blood spot screening test – for which a new testing scheme rolled out this month.
SMA affects around 60 to 70 babies born in England every year and can cause severe muscle weakness, leading to difficulty moving, breathing and swallowing.
Treatments for SMA work best when started as early as possible, ideally before symptoms appear. Type 1 SMA, which Nelson’s twins have been diagnosed with, begins in babies under six months old.
When Nelson revealed her children had the condition, she said they are unlikely to be able to walk or gain neck strength.
In August, Nelson shared that her children underwent an operation to have their nasogastric feeding tubes removed.
Following the surgery, Nelson shared a series of photos of her daughters, who she shares with her former partner Zion Foster, in hospital beds, captioning one post: ‘I got their face back feels like a dream.’
Metro contacted Jesy Nelson’s representatives and ITV for comment on this story.