I’m A Celeb Denies Sports Star Was Set to Join Before Last-Minute Pullout

ITV have dismissed claims that boxer Conor Benn was poised to join this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

The boxer, 29, the son of former world champion boxer, Nigel Benn, was rumoured to be entering the jungle for the 2025 series as a late arrival, before withdrawing from talks at the last minute due to a boxing match. 

However, an ITV spokesperson has since confirmed the rumour is ‘categorically untrue.’  

Conor was reportedly set to fly out to Australia on Sunday, just one day after his scheduled fight with Chris Eubank Jr, before entering the jungle.

Tom Read Wilson and Vogue Williams were confirmed as the late arrivals for this year’s series. 

A source told The Sun: ‘Conor was really keen to make it work, but in the end, it just wasn’t logistically viable for him to do the big match on Saturday night, and then leave for Australia the next day.

‘In theory, he could have done it, if he had gone in as one of the late arrivals, but given how boxing matches are unpredictable, if he had been injured he wouldn’t have been able to fly. 

‘Neither ITV nor Conor could take that risk in the end, but the door is certainly open for the future.’

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Conor for comment.  

It comes after it was reported Angela Rayner was in advanced talks to join this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Rumours had circulated that the former housing secretary was being eyed up by ITV bosses – but it later emerged that the broadcasting giant ‘felt it was going to happen’.

Insiders said that Angela was ultimately warned that a return to the frontlines of politics could be off the table if she were to go into the Jungle.

The former deputy PM was forced to resign from her Cabinet roles in September after it emerged that she did not pay £40,000 of stamp duty owed on the purchase of a flat in Hove, East Sussex. 

Richard Osman and Marina Hyde revealed on Tuesday just how close Angela came to being poached by ITV bosses for a spot on this year’s I’m A Celeb line-up.

Speaking on their The Rest Is Entertainment Podcast, they recalled how hosts Ant and Dec have previously spoken of their desire not to have any more politicians on the show after Nigel Farage’s appearance in 2023.

The Reform leader, who received a £1.5million fee to appear on the show, came third. Previous political figures on the show include Nadine Dorries in 2012, Edwina Currie in 2014, Stanley Johnson in 2017 and Matt Hancock in 2022.

Richard and Marina said Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey was offered to ITV bosses, but they opted against having another politician.

However, when Angela emerged as a potential, they simply couldn’t say no, it was understood.

Richard explained: ‘There was another name that came along that I think ITV thought would be impossible to say no to.’

Marina added: ‘It would have been impossible to say no to Angela Rayner going on it. Now, she got really quite far and her people in talks to do this. And what a moment for her.

‘If you thought last week was chaotic for Labour, try and imagine this week if Angela Rayner was now basically running a proxy leadership campaign by the meme of eating kangaroo testicles on ITV prime time.’ 

The host added: ‘Obviously she wants to return to frontline politics and that’s very clear… Were she to do this, you are leaving during parliamentary time. 

‘It would be fun seeing the fallout of the Budget next week while she’s eating emu anus.’ Which by the way, we will all be doing after the Budget next week,’ Richard quipped.

Marina said Angela ‘would have been an absolutely terrific booking’ had it not been for her return to politics getting in the way. 

‘I think what happened is obviously she does wish to return to frontline politics,’ she said. 

‘It was made clear that were she to do something like this, there wouldn’t be a way back. By the way I don’t think the people who would have made that clear are in a position to say who does or doesn’t have a way back.

‘We’ll have to wait and see but sadly that booking did not occur.’

Hinting at just how far it got, Richard revealed that ‘ITV felt this maybe was going to happen’ with Marina adding: ‘I think they felt it got very far.’