I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! has been on our screens since the show first began in 2002 and returns this weekend for the 24th series with Coleen Rooney, Oti Mabuse, and Barry Mcguigan along with others confirmed as the 2024 campmates.
The roster of famous campmates throughout the year have done it all from jumping out of helicopters to eating creepy crawlies in locations including the Australian jungle, South Africa’s Krueger Park and even the Welsh Gwrych Castle.
But sadly some of the show’s most popular contestants have died since its launch.
As the 24th series returns to our screens this weekend, we pay tribute to the former stars of the jungle.
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
Model Tara was one of the first celebrities to take part in the show, appearing on the first ever series alongside Tony Blackburn, Christine Hamilton and Darren Day.
She was of the viewers favourites, due to her no-filter comments that had fans laughing. One of the most memorable was when she came for Darren for farting saying: “When you do that it makes me go ‘yuck, I don’t want to be near you’. I don’t what to smell your insides 24/7.”
Tara sadly passed away in 2017, aged 45, from a peritonitis and a perforated ulcer. Following the heartbreaking news of her passing, campmate Darren tweeted: “I’m so sad to hear that Tara Palmer-Tomkinson has passed away. Thoughts and love to her family RIP Tara.”
David Gest
American music producer David kept fans entertained during the 2006 series of I’m A Celeb, finishing fourth in the completion. David was known for his dry sense of humour and was one of the favourites among the campmates for his amusing stories about his marriage to Liza Minelli and maid Vaginica Seaman.
“Her mother loved her body part so much, that she decided if she had a girl, she was going to call her Vaginica,” David told the bemused jungle dwellers, before confirming: “No bull.”
David passed away in 2016, aged 62, after suffering a stroke in a London Hotel.
Freddie Star
Comedian Freddie Starr spent two days in the jungle during the 2011 series, but he had to withdraw from the show due to health reasons. Explaining his exit he said “I was sorry to hear the news about what the doctors said – that I was allergic to something, to play it safe and best for me not to go back in.”
Although his time in the jungle was short, he left a big impression with his campmates – Mark Wright, Antony Cotton and Fatima Whitbread.
Freddie was found dead in his Spanish home on May 6 2019, and the postmortem exam concluded he died from coronary artery disease.
Bobby Ball
Bobby who was part of comedy duo Cannon and Ball appeared on the show in 2005. During his time in the jungle he recalled enduring starvation, sickness and bug bites, and missing his wife a lot. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 79 after Covid-19 complications.
Eric Bristow
In the 2012 series of the I’m A Celeb Eric came in fourth place, telling Ant and Dec: “I had a great time but I would have liked to make the last three. I would have liked to have a go at the grubs for my kids.”
Eric sadly suffered a heart attack whilst attending a Premier League Darts event in Liverpool passing away just age 60.
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Annabel Giles
The British television and radio presenter appeared on the shows 13th series, and entered on day 5 as a late entrant. Although Annabel only made it to day 15 when she was voted out of the competition.
Annabel died in November last year after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in July, her two children announced her death on social media.
* The new series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! starts on Sunday on ITV at 9pm
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