Speculation is already rife about the line-up for the next series of I’m A Celebrity, with rumours that a gold medal-winning Olympian is in discussions to join the show.
Reports suggest that retired artistic gymnast Max Whitlock, 31, has been in talks with the ITV show’s producers, although the final line-up has not yet been confirmed. Max has previously expressed his fondness for the show.
If he joins, he would be the latest sports star to participate in the show, following former campmates such as Tony Bellew, Jill Scott, Matty Lee and Kadeena Cox, who have all appeared on the show in recent years. Professional footballer Jill even won I’m A Celeb in 2022, while Tony was runner-up last year.
An insider told The Sun: “Max has met with the I’m A Celebrity bookers and talks are ongoing. He is a huge fan of the show and has been keen to take part for years.”
They added that this is the first time ITV has “invited him to meet” and that he could be a “brilliant” campmate, reports the Mirror.
“Max has good looks, charm and is super competitive, which would come in handy when it comes to the Bushtucker trials,” the source continued. They suggested that there could be “no better time” for him to “spread his wings” now that he’s left gymnastics and that a potential stint in the jungle could be “the start of an exciting career in TV”.
In a 2022 report by the Evening Standard, Max revealed at the Sun’s Who Cares Wins Awards that he was open to “discussions” about joining I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in the future, expressing his enthusiasm as a “big fan”.
Max’s name has been buzzing with rumours about his possible stint on the next series of I’m A Celeb after his recent performance at the Paris Olympics earlier this year. He had previously declared that these Games would be his last Olympic appearance.
Competing for Team GB, Max didn’t manage to clinch a medal in his final pommel horse routine, finishing in fourth place. Reflecting on his experience, he said: “I am proud to be here. Of course I would have hoped for it to end better but my decision to come to Paris here was not based on the outcome. It was based on just being here at my fourth Olympics and to have that fourth Olympics in my journey.”
Max boasts an impressive collection of Olympic medals, including three golds and three bronzes from past Games. His Olympic journey began in London in 2012, followed by appearances in Rio in 2016 and the postponed Tokyo 2021 Olympics.