Over the years, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here has pulled in some pretty famous contestants (as well as some… less famous contestants).
This year alone, that includes actual popstar Boy George, actual member of the royal family Mike Tindall, and actual disgraced politician Matt Hancock.
In previous years, there’s been Caitlyn Jenner – part of the multi-billion-dollar Kardashian-Jenner clan – as well as reality TV icon Gemma Collins, Olympic hero Mo Farah, and football legend Harry Redknapp.
That’s not to mention the stars who created some of the ITV show’s most memorable TV moments, like Myleene Klass, Katie Price, Paul Burrell and Gillian McKeith.
You’d expect those names to pull in some pretty hefty fees – but some of the highest-paid contestants in I’m A Celebrity history are probably not who you’re expecting.
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This is a reported ranking of the highest-paid I’m A Celebrity contestants of all time, compiled by The Tab.
Jennie McAlpine – £250k
N’aww, lovely Jennie McAlpine off Coronation Street has made the list of the highest-paid I’m A Celebrity contestants.
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She’s the only soap star to make the cut as well.
Nadine Coyle – £250k
Ah yes, that lying-about-her-age, going-viral-for-having-a-Derry-accent beauty Nadine Coyle pulled in a hefty fee for her time in the jungle.
The former Girls Aloud star is believed to have made almost a quarter of a million pounds for her stint, which saw her finish in fifth place.
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Mike Tindall – £265k
Not only is Mike Tindall British sporting royalty thanks to his rugby background, but he’s also actual royalty, given that he’s married to Zara Phillips.
He’s been a firm fan favourite so far this year and ITV bosses have probably agreed he’s been worth every penny.
Mo Farah – £300k
Sir Mo Farah was one of I’m A Celebrity’s most endearing contestants of all time, and everyone – both at home and in the series – loved him.
For his time in the Welsh castle (ah, Covid times), it’s reported he was paid £300k.
Matt Hancock – £400k
Eugh, this the contentious one. Matt Hancock, the disgraced MP who was caught breaking his own lockdown restrictions to have an affair with an aide, and who handed out Government contracts to his own contacts, landed in the jungle on this year’s series – and has promptly been voted in to do every single trial.
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It’s been claimed he’s been paid £400k, which might come in handy given that he’s been suspended from his day job.
This one’s not that surprising, given the huge sums that boxers as successful as Amir Khan can bring in for a single fight.
The Bolton-born Olympian commanded quite a big fee from ITV.
Ian Wright – £400k
There was a bit of tension surrounding Ian Wright’s appearance on I’m A Celebrity, with the star accused of bullying Andrew Maxwell.
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But overall he was pretty entertaining (even with the mood swings) and he pulled in a cool £400k. Series 19 was expensive.
Katie Price – £450k
Katie Price is so synonymous with I’m A Celebrity that she’s actually been a contestant twice – and her romance with pop star Peter Andre blossomed on the show back in 2003.
Her second visit to the jungle in 2009 it cost ITV £450k.
Boy George – £500k
Boy George will head into the I’m A Celeb jungle. Credit: ITV
It’s still pretty wild to see Boy George, arguably one of the most-recognised and famous pop stars of all time, in the Australian jungle eating out of a metal tray.
But here we are, and the Karma Chameleon singer is still living the bug-filled dream as we type.
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Harry Redknapp – £500k
Harry Redknapp was crowned King of the Jungle back in 2018, and he probably felt like he needed it after how much he missed his food back home (honestly, it was all he talked about).
He beat the much-loved Emily Atack to the crown, who went on to co-present the spin-off series Extra Camp.
Caitlyn Jenner – £500k
Can you actually believe this happened? Imagine any other member of the Kardashain-Jenner clan rocking up in the khaki shirt and red gilet (okay, except Rob, that wouldn’t be quite so shocking).
But Olympic hero Caitlyn Jenner made quite a splash when she was announced as a campmate, and struck up some unlikely friendships with British reality stars.
Noel Edmonds – £600k
Noel Edmonds. Noel makes-pretend-phone-calls-to-a-‘banker’, is-mates-with-a-giant-pink-blob Edmonds. That’s who got paid the most money of all time.
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He was parachuted into the jungle several days late, then got voted out first. He did just nine days for his £600k fee.
Nice work if you can get it.
Featured image: ITV
News
Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Urgent travel warning issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester is gearing up for what is set to be one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Manchester‘s biggest music festival, Parklife, returns to Heaton Park this weekend (Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June), with tens of thousands of people expected to make the journey to see headliners Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji, Skepta, and Zara Larsson, as well as many other well-known music names… but that’s not all.
Over at the Etihad Stadium, Take That are set to perform a series of shows across the weekend, while the Etihad Campus will also host the Women’s Netball Final at Co-op Live from 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
The city will also welcome Lily Allen and the B52s across three nights at the AO Arena, and the Women’s Cricket World Cup will draw thousands to Emirates Old Trafford on 21 June, when South Africa take on India.
So, as you can see, we’ve got a jam-packed couple of days coming up.
📣 This weekend is expected to be one of the busiest in Manchester, with multiple events taking place across the city.
🚗 Public transport, roads and venues are likely to be extremely busy.
🕛 If you’re travelling anywhere this weekend, please plan ahead and allow extra time… pic.twitter.com/iqtmlSpAOR
In fact, it’s estimated that more than a quarter of a million people are expected to be travelling to the various events over the weekend, and of course, this means the roads and public transport will be significantly busier than usual.
Whether you’re one of the many fans or just making a regular journey, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is advising everyone to ‘plan ahead’, allow extra time for their journey, and avoid the busiest areas and times.
To prepare for the increase in travel, TfGM has confirmed that there will be more trams serving event venues, alongside extended tram operating times, to ensure everyone gets home safely.
For travel to and from Parklife, the specific Parklife travel ticket – which will be available on the Bee Network app – is valid on trams and buses across Greater Manchester, and this includes relevant shuttle buses operating to and from the city centre.
An urgent travel warning has been issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year / Credit: Steve Turvey (Supplied) | TfGM
Throughout the weekend, extra staff and TravelSafe Support Officers will be out and about across the transport network to help passengers, and TfGM will be working closely with police and other partners to manage roads and the transport network around the clock.
“We’re expecting it to be very busy across the network, with more than a quarter of a million fans travelling to various sports and music events,” commented Danny Vaughn, who is the Chief Network Officer at TfGM.
“We will have as many staff as possible on the network, running as many services as we can to ensure that the Bee Network is here to help you get where you need to go.
“So, for everyone looking to get out and about, please plan ahead, check the Bee Network app for updates and have a safe journey.”
A dedicated travel page for this weekend’s event has been set up, so you can find out everything you need to know and get live updates on the Bee Network website here.
Daisy Jackson -
18th November 2022 
