ITV has reportedly begun the hunt for the next batch of stars to head to the jungle for I’m A Celebrity.
However, there’s apparently already been a setback as one celeb has already ruled out appearing on the hit reality show despite meeting with ITV bosses.
Denise Welch of Waterloo Road and Loose Women fame has reportedly decided she won’t be taking a trip down under.
According to The Sun, Denise, who’s previously appeared on other reality shows like Big Brother and Dancing on Ice, was put off after seeing how Adam Thomas was treated on I’m A Celeb… South Africa.
‘Denise has been top of I’m A Celeb’s campmate hit list for years,’ a source told the paper.
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‘She always shuts it down quickly, but this year she went in to meet the team to talk things through.’
Just when it seemed as though bosses had won Denise over, however, she pulled the rug from under them, deciding ‘it’s not one for her’.
‘She’s really busy focusing on her acting right now, but she also raised with producers that she didn’t like how Adam vs. Jimmy played out,’ the source continued.
‘She feared something similar could happen this time and didn’t think it was worth the risk.’
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa was mired in controversy when it aired in April this year.
Specifically, there were allegations that David Haye was bullying Adam Thomas after the boxer branded the soap star ‘useless’.
David Haye denies bullying Adam, calling his actions ‘banter’. The boxer has claimed he is pursuing legal action against ITV, claiming he was misrepresented in the final edit.
Things were further complicated when Adam had a blazing row with another co-star, Jimmy Bullard, during a bushtucker trial.
Jimmy was ultimately sent home after the trial, but Adam was allowed to stay. Jimmy later claimed that ITV had edited the argument to make Adam look better.
Things came to a head during the series live finale, where David and Jimmy confronted Adam, who was about to be crowned King of the Jungle.
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Their argument led to Sinitta and Gemma Collins storming off stage during filming, and even the cool and collected Ant and Dec got defensive.
Following filming, Jimmy and David were escorted away from the studio, claiming they were ‘kicked out for trying to tell the truth’.
Adam later addressed his win and the controversy on Instagram, writing: ‘I have realised that when people try to dim your light, it says more about them than it ever will about you.
‘This experience has shown me my strength in ways I never imagined. Not because of any title or recognition, but because I stayed kind, I stayed grounded, and I stayed real.’
Metro has reached out to ITV and Denise Welch for comment.