Leigh Francis in 'advanced talks' to join I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!
Comedian Leigh Francis could be heading Down Under next month to take part in the 2026 series of I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!
Leigh Francis could finally sign up for I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! after rejecting previous chances.
According to The Sun, the 53-year-old comic, best known as his alter ego Keith Lemon, is reportedly in "advanced talks" to join this year's series of the ITV jungle survival show, which sees a group of stars live in harsh conditions in an Australian, critter-filled camp and take on gruesome Bushtucker Trials.
It comes as hosts Ant McPartlin, 50, and Declan Donnelly, 51, encouraged their pal Leigh to appear on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! on an episode of their Hanging Out with Ant and Dec podcast.
Ant said: "Leigh, come on! This is our plea to you.
"Get in the jungle. You know you want to. It’s a lot of fun, and we’ll be there."
Dec added: "If we got Leigh Francis in the jungle . . . and we had to stand by and watch him do a trial, let’s try and make that happen."
Ant continued: "We’ll be there. ‘You’re doing great. You’re doing great!'"
If Leigh were to do the 2026 series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!, it would come a year after his 46-year-old Celebrity Juice co-star Kelly Brook's appearance.
Elsewhere, supermodel Leomie Anderson, 33, is reportedly set to sign up for the programme.
A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "Obviously Leomie looks sensational and bosses are over the moon she could be joining this year’s line-up.
"But though Leomie is a glamorous model, she’s also a tough cookie underneath.
"She has what it takes to conquer the jungle."
They added: "Leomie wants to be an inspiration to young women.
"She wants to show that anything is possible when you put your mind to it."
This would not be Leomie's first experience of a jungle-based reality show.
Last year, Victoria's Secret's first Black British Angel appeared on Netflix's Celebrity Bear Hunt alongside 11 other celebrities, as they were dropped into a Costa Rican jungle and became "prey" in a survival game led by 52-year-old adventurer Bear Grylls.
However, Leomie was eliminated first after being caught by Bear, which left her devastated.
Meanwhile, former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson, 35, withdrew from the show to care for her twin girls, Ocean and Story, who have spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, a muscle-wasting condition.
A source told The Sun: "Jesy was so excited about joining I’m A Celebrity, mainly because it was giving her a platform to continue her campaigning for SMA.
"She has already helped change Government policy over testing newborns for the condition.
"I’m A Celeb was going to be where she could spread her message even further, and show a side to her the public may not have seen before."
The source added: "It’s with a very heavy heart she has pulled out.
"Ocean and Story are unwell, and there is no way Jesy would leave them. Her family are her priority.
"ITV have been amazing and are supporting her all the way. The door will always be left open for Jesy."
A show source added: "Producers were gutted that Jesy couldn’t be part of this year’s series."
Other stars rumoured to be taking part in this year's series of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! include Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page, 49, Big Brother host AJ Odudu, 38, Coronation Street alum Claire Sweeney, 55, and 41-year-old former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.
ITV has not announced a return date for the show, but it typically starts in November.
