ITV release 2024's I'm A Celebrity teaser trailer
ITV chiefs have successfully roped in renowned Irish boxer and Mirror columnist Barry McGuigan to join the cast of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, following Ally McCoist's hesitation to dive back into the jungle experience for a third time.
Braving the Australian wilderness, McGuigan a fabled icon of the boxing world steps into the spotlight amidst the typical eleventh-hour chaos as celebs either seal their commitments or bolt.
An insider revealed: "Barry is a bona-fide sporting legend and he's a great person to have heading for the jungle. When he rose to fame in the 1980s as the WBA featherweight boxing champ he became a non-sectarian ambassador.
"He fought for both Ireland and Great Britain and was loved and respected on both sides of the divide. There's not many who can say that."
The father of four commanded the featherweight division from 1983 to 1986, earning the title of BBC's Sports Personality of the Year in 1985, and later secured his place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005, reports the Mirror.
In 2017, McGuigan playfully chided his boxing counterpart Amir Khan for his less-than-stellar performance during a Bushtucker Trial involving a snake, saying at the time: "He was a bit embarrassing on the first task but he made up for it last night."
Now aged 37, Khan will get a ringside seat to see if McGuigan can outshine his own jungle antics.
The I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! line-up this year is set to feature a host of famous faces, including Coronation Street's stalwart Alan Halsall who missed out last year due to a knee injury. Wag queen Coleen Rooney, Love Island sizzler Maura Higgins – swooping in after Tommy Fury's change of heart – and the ex-X Factor goddess Tulisa Contostavlos are also joining the jungle antics.
Oti Mabuse, the darling of Strictly Come Dancing, and McFly's heartthrob Danny Jones, walking in the winning footsteps of his bandmate Dougie Poynter from 2011, are also expected to brave the wild.
Not frequently glimpsed on television outside his sports commtentating gigs, Barry McGuigan has kept a lower profile until recent yearsbar his victory in the fiery cauldron of ITV's Hell's Kitchen back in 2007.
Still sprightly at 63, the boxing legend maintains fighting form with dedicated exercise and weightlifting regimes.
Barry once disclosed his tactics against time: "You have to fight back against ageing. As we get older, we start to develop joint problems, issue with knees and hips and ankles. You have to fight back and the way to do it is through body weight exercises, particularly lunges and squats."
Heartache struck Barry and his wife Sandra hard in 2019 with the loss of their beloved daughter Danika to cancer at just 33. In a poignant tribute, he shared how she inspired him to keep fit and remain strong: "We think about her nonstop," he said.
"She was a super girl, a super lassie. It has been such a tragedy for us, but I know I have to get on with life, for her."
Throughout his professional career, McGuigan earned the nickname 'Clones Cyclone', a nod to his birthplace in Ireland. Upon retiring from boxing, he transitioned into promotion, working alongside his wife and their three sons.
An ITV spokesperson declined to comment on rumours regarding potential jungle contestants last night.
