I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is starting in three weeks – and one of the rumoured stars has reportedly dropped out for personal reasons.
Footballer Wayne Rooney, Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson and Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu are contenders to enter the jungle when the ITV show returns in November, but, according to reports, it’s Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson who will no longer be joining the show as planned.
Nelson was rumoured to have signed a six-figure deal to head into the jungle, but is said to have pulled out to care for her twin daughters, who both have Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic condition that means they will likely never walk.
A source previously told The Sun that Nelson was hoping to raise awareness around SMA on behalf of her children on the show, but it’s now been claimed that, after weeks of negotiating a deal with ITV, she has dropped out “with a heavy heart”.
“ITV has been amazing and are supporting her all the way,” the source added. “The door will always be left open for Jesy.”
“She has already helped change government policy over testing newborns for the condition. I’m a Celeb was going to be where she could spread her message even further, and show a side to her the public may not have seen before.”
The Independent has contacted Nelson and ITV for comment.
Nelson welcomed her daughters with her now ex-fiancé, Zion Foster, in May 2025. After being born prematurely, the girls were kept in hospital for three months, with Nelson revealing earlier this year that they have both since been diagnosed with SMA.
According to the NHS, SMA causes muscle weakness, movement problems, issues with breathing and swallowing, muscle tremors, and bone and joint problems. Nelson has made a documentary about her experience – titled Jesy Nelson: Life Changing – and has become a strong advocate for mandatory SMA testing in the UK, saying that she “refuses to allow anyone else to go through this”.
ITV is once again facing renewed pressure to pull together an impressive list of famous faces due to the high calibre of stars the BBC has managed to recruit for The Celebrity Traitors – season two of which is currently airing, with Nelson’s former bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
Other stars rumoured to be joining I’m a Celebrity include Christopher Dean, one-half of skating duo Torvill and Dean, retired cricketer Ben Stokes and former Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova.
I’m a Celebrity, which started in 2002, is now on its 26th series, and Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly will return to host proceedings from the Australian jungle. It’ll be the first series since a second run of the all-stars show aired.
The series made headlines earlier this year thanks to the biggest showdown in reality TV history after a fallout between Adam Thomas and Jimmy Bullard, which even put Ant and Dec through their paces.
