Every year, the producers seem to have a checklist. You need the old-school sitcom actor who hasn’t worked since 2008. They’re usually the one who talks about their “craft” while eating a kangaroo testicle. It’s like seeing your dad try to use TikTok—painful but hilarious.
Then there’s the soap star who’s been on telly for twenty years. They’re so famous you can’t even remember their real name, only their character’s. Mine is always “Janine from EastEnders,” even if she’s from Corrie. These people are the reliable bread of the camp—they keep things steady, even when Ant and Dec are being cheeky.
We also get the token athlete. Usually a former Olympic swimmer or a rugby star who broke their ankle four years ago. They’ll do one trial and suddenly think they’re a jungle survival expert. It’s like watching your mate who went to IKEA once and now thinks he’s a master carpenter.
The “Who?” Contestants (The Real Treat)
But let’s be honest—the best part of the 2026 line-up is the mystery box. These are the people you’ve never heard of. Maybe it’s someone who won a reality show in 2016 and then vanished. Or an influencer who has 200,000 followers but you’ve never seen their face.
You’ll spend the first two days squinting at the telly, saying, “Who is that? Are they from Love Island? No, wait, that’s the one who dated the guy from Love Island.” It’s a game of mental Mad Libs. By day five, you’ll know their middle name and what they ate for breakfast in 2019.
Who is on I’m a Celeb 2026? Full ITV line-up and late entries
I once spent a whole episode trying to work out if a contestant was a singer or just someone’s cousin. Turns out they were a children’s TV presenter from the 1990s. My mum nearly dropped her tea. That is the magic of this show—it’s a weird family reunion where nobody invited you, but you’re crashing anyway.
