In a shocking twist that’s got fans buzzing, this year’s *I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!* has suffered a massive last-minute setback. The mystery celeb who’s been dramatically yanked from the lineup? None other than powerhouse boxer Conor Benn, the 29-year-old son of legendary world champion Nigel Benn. That’s right—Conor was all set to storm into the Australian jungle as a surprise late arrival for the 2025 series, but fate (and a high-stakes fight) had other plans.
Sources reveal that Conor was primed to jet off to Australia on Sunday, hot on the heels of his explosive showdown with rival Chris Eubank Jr. the night before. Imagine the drama: trading punches in the ring one day, then dodging creepy crawlies and Bushtucker Trials the next! But alas, the risks were just too high. With boxing’s unpredictable nature—think potential injuries that could ground him from flying—ITV bosses and Conor’s team pulled the plug at the eleventh hour. Instead, the show welcomed Tom Read Wilson and Vogue Williams as the official latecomers, leaving fans wondering what could have been.
A insider spilled the tea to *The Sun*, dishing: “Conor was super eager to make it happen, but logistically, it was a nightmare. Squaring off in that massive bout on Saturday night and hopping on a plane to Oz the very next day? In theory, yeah—but if he got banged up in the fight, no way could he fly. Neither ITV nor Conor wanted to gamble on that. The door’s wide open for him down the line, though!”
We’ve reached out to Conor’s reps for the official word, but the silence is deafening. This bombshell comes amid even more jungle gossip, as it turns out Deputy Prime Minister hopeful Angela Rayner was *this close* to swapping Westminster for the wilderness!
Whispers had been swirling that the former housing secretary was in deep negotiations with ITV to join the 2025 cast. Insiders claim the network was downright thrilled, thinking it was a done deal. But hold onto your hats—Angela got cold feet (or rather, a stern warning) that diving into the jungle could torpedo her political comeback. Remember, she stepped down from her Cabinet gigs back in September after a scandal involving £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty on a Hove flat. Ouch!
The juicy details dropped on *The Rest Is Entertainment* podcast, where hosts Richard Osman and Marina Hyde spilled how Ant and Dec had sworn off politicians post-Nigel Farage’s 2023 stint (where he pocketed a whopping £1.5 million and snagged third place). Past pols like Nadine Dorries, Edwina Currie, Stanley Johnson, and Matt Hancock have all braved the bugs, but ITV reportedly passed on Lib Dem leader Ed Davey to avoid more controversy.
Then Angela’s name popped up—and boom, they couldn’t resist! Richard teased: “There was another name that came along that I think ITV thought would be impossible to say no to.” Marina chimed in: “It would have been impossible to say no to Angela Rayner going on it. She got really quite far in talks. What a moment for her! If you thought last week was chaotic for Labour, imagine this week with Angela running a proxy leadership campaign via kangaroo testicle memes on prime-time ITV.”
But reality hit hard. Marina explained: “Obviously, she wants back in frontline politics. Doing this during parliamentary time? It’d be wild watching the Budget fallout while she’s chowing down on emu anus.” (Richard quipped we’d all be doing the same post-Budget—hilarious, but true?)
Ultimately, Angela “would have been an absolutely terrific booking,” per Marina, but her political ambitions won out. “It was made clear that if she did this, there might not be a way back,” she said, though she questioned if those calling the shots even have that power. Richard hinted ITV was convinced it was happening, with Marina adding: “They felt it got very far.”
What a rollercoaster for *I’m A Celeb*! From boxing drama to political intrigue, this season’s already serving up more twists than a jungle vine. Stay tuned—who knows what other secrets are lurking in the undergrowth?