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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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
Yet another major Deansgate Locks nightlife spot has closed in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Deansgate Locks is set to lose yet another of its nightlife spots, with Ark confirming it will be shutting its doors ‘within weeks’.
The multi-room, multi-storey, multi-genre nightclub has been part of the canalside development for more than a decade, having first opened back in 2014.
At that time, Deansgate Locks was arguably Manchester’s leading nightlife destination, drawing hundreds of students and party-goers to its mix of venues.
The railway arches have been home to iconic clubs and bars including Baa Bar, Lola Lo, Revolution, and Sugar Buddha, as well as The Comedy Store.
But with news that Ark Manchester is closing too, it leaves only Popworld left at what was previously one of the city’s hottest destinations.
In a statement shared with the Manchester Evening News, a spokesperson for Stonegate said: “The hospitality sector continues to face significant challenges.
Ark Manchester will be closing for goodIt leaves Deansgate Locks with just one venue
“After careful consideration, and despite our best efforts, Ark Manchester is no longer commercially viable and we have taken the difficult decision to close the venue.
“Our priority is to support our hard‑working team during this time, and we would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication. We would also like to thank our guests and the local community for their support over the years.”
It’s believed that Ark Manchester will close on Deansgate Locks in the next few weeks.
Groundbreaking endometriosis tests could help catch diagnosis ‘years earlier’
Danny Jones
In some major public health news, two pioneering and crucially faster tests for endometriosis, which are set to be rolled out across Great Britain soon, could be about to reduce the time taken to diagnose the condition by several years.
That’s according to the National Institute for Healthand Care Excellence (NICE), who have issued an update revealing that the fresh testing technology could significantly speed up the process that can currently take the best part of a decade or even more.
In some cases, it can take upwards of 11 years to fully identify endometriosis, especially within certain ethnically diverse communities, but now the executive non-departmental public body has given the green light for the NHS to introduce the pair of expeditious testing methods here in the UK.
Announced on Tuesday, 7 July, the dual approach – one half of which is already being used domestically as part of a pilot study – won’t serve as a standalone diagnostic system in itself, but should help drastically reduce the time between suspected symptoms, confirmation and treatment.
In the UK, average diagnosis takes over 9 years.
Endosure and Endotest can now be used in the NHS while more evidence is gathered.
Emma Cox, chief executive of Endometriosis UK, said in a public statement: “Availability of these new tests needs to go hand-in-hand with education of GPs and practice nurses to ensure prompt access to those that need them, and an end to pain and symptoms not being recognised.”
The two prongs of this new approach revolve around the already in-trialEndotest®, currently being manufactured by French biotech company Ziwig.
Essentially a straightforward saliva test, it’s been recommended for wider use over some time now.
Meanwhile, the second step is ‘EndoSure’: a non-invasive test that uses “topical electrode pads similar to those used in an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the myoelectric activity of the smooth muscle of the GI tract”, with sensors placed on the stomach area.
You can see an instructional video explaining more information about the former down below.
Put in the simplest terms, in tandem, they could save one in 10 women lots of time and pain.
Dr Anastasia Chalkidou, healthtech programme director at NICE, went on to add: “A diagnosis of endometriosis can for some women take the best part of a decade […] That delay means living with chronic pelvic pain that affects daily life, relationships and work.
“These technologies have the potential to change that by giving primary care professionals better non-invasive tools to identify endometriosis earlier, allowing earlier and better treatment.
“Our draft guidance reflects our commitment to getting promising innovations to patients quickly, while making sure the evidence to support their wider use is built in a rigorous way.”
While both are still pending full approval and eventual scaling across the country, here’s hoping it can make the difference in the lives of millions of British women and beyond.
Daisy Jackson -
18th November 2022 
