Tension was in the air during a trial on the latest instalment of I’m A Celebrity, which saw this year’s campmates tackle insects together aboard a bus.
The Fright Bus challenge kicked off Tuesday’s episode on ITV and involved the celebrities moving red tokens along a yellow pole while bugs rained down on them. They were split into smaller groups within the bus for the ordeal.
Ex-professional boxer Barry McGuigan, aged 63, found himself at the back of the bus with reality TV personality Maura Higgins, 34, and singer Tulisa Contostavlos, 36. This trio was the last to face the challenge, being the final ones left on the bus.
Barry managed to stay relatively composed under the deluge of insects, but both Maura and Tulisa could be heard shrieking as creatures like green ants descended upon them. Barry offered support to his fellow contestants throughout the trial, although there were hints that he might have been getting slightly irritated at times.
When Maura showed signs of unease as the red token lingered in her area, Barry urged her: “Scrape them off you, come on! Just scrape them off, that’s all.”, reports the Mirror.
Later, while focusing on his segment of the task, he implored her: “Shh, calm down.” Following what seemed to be a chuckle, he repeated firmly: “Calm down, calm down, calm down.”
The scene sparked quite the buzz on X, previously known as Twitter, with viewers flocking to discuss the trio’s performance. Many felt for Barry – whose son Shane McGuigan reportedly had a brief romance with Maura in 2018 – caught between two outspoken co-stars, and some hinted at possible tension during the trial.
One viewer, alongside a laughing emoji, commented: “Tulisa and Maura were p***ing Barry right off on that bus.”
Another amused fan posted: “He was clearly trying to hold back from telling them to shut up and get on with it.” Another person jested: “Poor Barry. Stuck between Maura and Tulisa – man just wants to get done and get home.”
Meanwhile, a fourth individual responded to the recent scene saying: “Fair play to Barry staying so calm between Maura and Tulisa.”
“Poor Barry, stuck between Maura and Tulisa screaming like banshees! And he was so lovely doing more than his fair share of spinning the tokens,” remarked one sympathiser. Echoing the sentiment, another added: “Barry literally going through hell there – stuck in between a screaming Tulisa and Maura … I feel for him.”
Fans speculated that Barry’s momentary vanishing act in the jungle alongside Tulisa might have been triggered by a previous incident. They had set off together to fetch water, with Barry moving on ahead.
When Tulisa reached the stream, she found herself calling his name, puzzled by his absence. Fortunately, Barry eventually came back, albeit to a bit of a telling-off from Tulisa for venturing too deep into the wild.
One fan posted online: “Wonder if Barry has gone home after being stuck on the bus between two screamers. Tulisa cant find him.”
In response to the amusing scenario, another added: “Barry having to sit between Tulisa and Maura screaming their heads off. No wonder he decided to go missing.”
Meanwhile, a third commented: “Poor Barry trying to keep Maura and Tulisa calm … No wonder he f***ed off into the jungle.”
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! airs every night at 9pm on ITV1, STV and ITVX.