ITV sends former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! stars home as bosses 'axe' their return

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly present I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
(Image credit: ITV)
By Georgia Farquharson
published

ITV have sent former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! stars, Charlie Brooks and Joey Essex, home from Wales despite their two week self-isolation as they axe plans for their return, amid claims the series is "fake".

Joey Essex poses on the red carpet

Joey Essex was among the rumours returners

It appears plans for their big return have been scrapped by ITV bosses, as, according to The Sun, Joey Essex and Charlie Brooks have been pictured heading home.

Former stars of the show, Charlie and Joey, as well as Vicky Pattison and Joe Swash, were all under the impression they'd be making a cameo appearance to celebrate the 20th series of I'm A Celebrity.. Get Me Out Of Here! - which is being filmed in the UK, in Gwrych Castle for the first time ever.

And I'm A Celebrity 2021 is set to be filmed there again too.

According to The Sun, an insider revealed, "It was never clear exactly what role the four stars would play on the series, but it's obvious they'd been chosen as they were among the most popular former contestants."

Just like the other contestants in the castle, the four celebrities had to self-isolate to adhere to government guidelines amid the covid-19 pandemic.

Charlie Brooks poses on the red carpet

Charlie Brooks is thought to have been sent home from isolation

"They were being prepared through isolation to ensure there was no risk of them bringing coronavirus on to the set and infecting the other celebrities or the crew and causing chaos," the source explained.

"But it's not clear why Joe, Vicky, Charlie and Joey haven't made it to the final stage and walked through the castle gates to join the other celebrities."

News of the veterans' return emerged in September, as the trials team were said to be getting "creative" and using the fact they're in the UK for the first time to their advantage.

Gwyrch Castle

Gwyrch Castle is where I'm A Celebrity is being filmed this year

A source told The Sun, "The trials team are getting creative. They’re using the fact they’re in the UK to their advantage and plan to draft in familiar faces to pop up in trials."

This series of I'm A Celeb has proved popular so far, with late arrival Ruthie Henshall dropping several royal bombshells on the camp as she opened up about her romance with Prince Edward.

Ruthie Henshall

Ruthie Henshall once dated Prince Edward

Ruthie revealed all formalities went out of the window the first time she met the Queen.

She said, “He invited me to Windsor for the weekend as we're walking I'm seeing a table outside and there's people sitting round it and I'm thinking that looks like the Queen and I remembered my dad had said to me that if you ever meet the Queen he said you curtsy and call her ma'am.

"I grab her hand like this [handshake], forget all about the curtsy and I'm like really really pleased to meet you, really pleased to meet you."

Georgia Farquharson
Celebrity writer

Georgia is a Celebrity and Royal Writer working across GoodTo and Woman & Home, and the Director and Founder of communications company Farq Media. Prior to this she was Online Editor at New! Magazine – managing all of their digital content and social media accounts. Where she interviewed all of the hottest reality TV stars and spent far too much time commuting to London. She trained at Nottingham Trent University – where she achieved First Class Honours in Print Journalism whilst juggling copious amounts of work experience, freelance writing, blogging and having far too much fun with the dance society. 

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