The new series of I’m A Celebrity South Africa kicked off on ITV last night, and Shaun Ryder is already emerging as a fan favourite.
The Happy Mondays star was one of several famous faces who headed into the star-studded camp, in its new location in South Africa.
Also joining the new spin-off of the hit ITV show were Amir Khan, Helen Flanagan, Jordan Banjo, Carol Vorderman, Fatima Whitbread, Paul Burrell, Phil Tufnell, and Janice Dickinson.
But the series had already promised a few more surprises and late-arrival campmates – and their first surprise delivered some TV gold.
Right at the end of last night’s episode, as the celebrities were settling in to their new home, ITV dropped a mysteriously giant box into camp.
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Shaun Ryder, who had previously commented that ‘there doesn’t seem to be any knobheads’, was soon eating his words when his former TV nemesis Gillian McKeith burst out of the box.
Gillian McKeith arriving in a giant box on I’m A Celebrity. Credit: ITVGillian McKeith arriving in a giant box on I’m A Celebrity. Credit: ITVShaun Ryder and Gillian McKeith are back together in the I’m A Celebrity jungle
The smile dropped from his face the second he recognised his former campmate, who he butted heads with back in 2010.
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He had labelled her ‘a f***ing irritating woman’, and frequently lashed out at her.
Shaun even told told Ant and Dec when he left the jungle: “If Gillian was my wife, she would be in pieces in a plastic bag, deep in a hole in the back garden.”
In response to Gillian entering the I’m A Celebrity camp, he simply said: “Oh… F***ing hell.”
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And when Paul Burrell asked if she was ‘mad as a box of frogs’, Shaun replied: “Yeah. I nearly killed her.”
He later said in the diary room: “Gillian arrived in a box. She should have stayed in the box folks…”
Fans are obviously loving the drama, and seem to mostly be Team Shaun.
One person said: “I’m a celeb bringing Gillian mckeith in with Shaun Ryder is one of the best things to happen to British tv for years.”
Another wrote: “However this series pans out, putting Shaun Ryder and Gillian McKeith in the jungle together again is a genius TV move.”
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Someone else said: “Shaun ryder is gonna carry this series and if he dosent win its a robbery.”
Everyone strap in – there’s gonna be fireworks.
Featured image: ITV
TV & Showbiz
Review | ‘This is a night to remember, Manchester’ – Jason Derulo’s Co-op Live debut
Amy Williams
Who’s ready for another throwback night? Because this was absolutely a night already full of nostalgia and one to remember.
American singer-songwriter Jason Derulo hit Co-op Live last night as part of his ‘The Last Dance World Tour’, famous for hit songs like ‘Whatcha Say’, ‘Talk Dirty’, and ‘Savage Love’ – we all remember the Covid TikTok dance, don’t we? – as well as many more.
With over 250 million singles sold and tens of billions of streams, you best believe his one night in Manchester was sold out.
Running through the big hits and everything in between, he and his dancers made it a proper party atmosphere on this fine Saturday evening.
He did his throwback songs and more; from the moment he said, “We’re throwing it back to the beginning, back to 2009″, we knew his first debut single, ‘Whatcha Say’, was about to grace our ears, and that it did.
He also brought back absolute classics like ‘Ridin’ Solo’ (I definitely lost my voice during this one) In My Head and It Girl.
The Last Dance run of shows has seen him visit places like Leeds, London, Glasgow and Birmingham, finishing his UK leg right here in Manchester, before he carries on to Europe, but we’re confident our date had the best crowd so far.
And just when you think this couldn’t get any better, he brought his little boy on stage to say hi to everyone, too – shattered everyone’s hearts.
He has that many hit songs, it wasn’t possible to get through them all, so his DJ halfway through did a mash-up of songs he’s also written and featured in, including ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by Black Eyed Peas, ‘Secret Love Song’ with Little Mix and ‘Replay’ by Iyaz.
We knew his voice was amazing – but can we have a moment for this man’s dance moves, keeping everyone on their feet at Co-op Live tonight, and his dancers made everyone want to start dance lessons tonight too, an absolutely incredible performance by all.
Jason Derulo told the audience, “This is a night to remember Manchester’, and that it absolutely was.
Daisy Jackson -
25th April 2023 
