I’M A CELEBRITY 2025: HOW THE SERIES PLAYED OUT
Deep in the Australian jungle, terror and/or self-discovery waited for the contestants who had been fool enough to sign up to this year’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!. Ant and Dec presided, as usual, over a mixed bag of famous – and not so famous – names from the worlds of comedy, reality TV, pop, sport, soap and radio.
Here’s how the series unfolded…
Angry Ginge, 23, content creator – King of the Jungle
With Ant and Dec reporting that nearly 13 million votes had been cast, the lion’s share went to internet sensation and football fan Angry Ginge. Before entering the show he said, “The closest I’ve ever done to this is the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award, and that didn’t go down well, so I haven’t got the best of confidence coming into this.” Despite his bravado in the camp, he was charmingly dumbstruck by his success. “I did not think I’d go all this way, never mind win, so thank you to everyone who voted,” he said.
Tom Read Wilson, 39, Celebs Go Dating star – runner-up
The Royal Academy of Music-trained personality, actor and singer with the cut-glass accent was always one of the favourites to win, but just missed out on clinching the title. Coming into the show, he’d said, “My favourite thing about being alive is meeting people”. Reflecting on his experience afterward, he mused: “I think that historically I can be introspective and that’s not very good for me. In the jungle your whole focus has to be out, you become sort of a floating soul and it’s a really beautiful way to live.”
Shona McGarty, 34, former EastEnders actress – third place
The EastEnders star was the first to leave the show’s final, and took the opportunity to reflect on her friendship with rapper Aitch. “When he came in, he had this rapper thing going on,” she said. “But actually underneath it all I could tell he was quite scared of the whole experience. We had a similar upbringing, he was normal and I just felt like an older sister and I wanted to protect him.”
Aitch, 25, rapper
Aitch was the ninth contestant to leave the show. The rapper saw show is a stepping stone to other opportunities. “You don’t always want to be stuck in the same world forever,” he says. “You can branch out and do other things. You don’t have to stick to the code [rap world] because you think that’s cool. I did have to cancel some gigs for it. But you are never going to branch out if you do the same thing all the time.”
Speaking of who he fancied to be crowned king - or queen - of the jungle, he told Ant and Dec: “I love Shona to death. If she gets it, she more than deserves it. Same with Tom, what a legend he is. But that crown needs to be taken back to my hometown, so I pick Ginge.”
Lisa Riley, 49, Emmerdale actress
Riley left the jungle in a shock double elimination with Jack Osbourne. The actress, best known for playing Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale, adored her time in the show, saying: “I’m not been lucky to be a mother in real life, so if I was considered the jungle mum, I feel like I’ve won already.”
Her soap co-star Danny Miller was crowned King of the Jungle in 2021, but she declined to appear on the show until this year.
Jack Osbourne, 40, TV personality
Osbourne left the jungle alongside Lisa Riley. He said that the experience had led to his having a penchant for crocodile tail He also told Ant and Dec that he wanted Tom Read Wilson to win.
His sister Kelly and mother, Sharon, thought that the show was the ideal distraction following the death of his father, Ozzy, this summer. Though he disagreed: “It’s absolutely going to be hard leaving them behind,” he said when he entered.
Martin Kemp, 64, actor and musician
The genial, calm, softly spoken Kemp became the sixth celebrity to leave I’m a Celebrity… The camp’s father figure reflected on his experience in the show: “I wasn’t one of those guys in there who was dancing and singing and doing all that stuff, but I just thought I’d bring some nice energy.” And, he added: “I always felt like I was a little bit on the outside, just a little bit calmer than everyone else.” Asked who he’d like to see win, he opted for Shona McGarty, who he said had “come out of her shell”.
Ruby Wax, 72, comedian
Comedian Ruby Wax was the fifth person to be voted out of the show. “I can’t believe it, I’m in a daze,” said this year’s oldest contestant as she left the camp after 19 days. And asked by Ant and Dec for her feelings on Kelly Brook, Angry Ginge and Aitch stealing sweets, she told them, “I’ll have to punish them when they come out. They’re funny but they have to be punished. I’ll deal with it.”
Kelly Brook, 45, Heart Radio DJ and model
The former Big Breakfast host and lads’ mag model has come in for a lot of criticism on this year’s show, even up to her last moments when she revealed she’d eaten more than her fair share of milk bottle sweets – causing outrage. She became the fourth celebrity to be voted off and, in her exit interview said, “It’s a dream and so beautiful in there... It would have been nice to get to the final but there are people in there that want it more than me.” She also highlighted her fondness for Martin Kemp, calling him her “saviour”.
Vogue Williams, 40, podcast and TV presenter
“Coffee!” was the first reaction of Vogue Williams, when she discovered she would be the third celebrity to leave the show (losing in the vote to Kelly Brook). And then, upon meeting Ant and Dec, “booze!” Drinking a glass of champagne, she admitted she was sad to go, but that “it was getting really hard, I was so hungry...”
Eddie Kadi, 42, comedian
Eddie Kadi was the second celebrity voted out, the news being delivered on Sunday, 30 November, with Vogue Williams the other name under threat. “I feel like I’ve been in there for a year. It’s literally changed my life,” he said afterwards. He also spoke out about campmate Ruby Wax: “There were moments where you’d just look at Ruby and think, ‘You are ridiculous.’”
Alex Scott, 41, former Lioness turned sports broadcaster
On Saturday, 29 November, Scott became the first celebrity to be voted out. Before hearing the news from Ant and Dec, she reflected: “If it’s me, then it’s meant to be, it’s my time and I get to go and embrace my loved ones. I don’t want it to be over, but if it is, then hey I’ve had the best time ever.”
2025-12-08T11:30:39Z