I'm a Celeb: Barry McGuigan goes 'missing'
Tensions seemed to rise in the latest instalment of I'm A Celebrity during a trial that grouped all of this year's participants on a bus, facing a swarm of insects.
The episode, which aired on Tuesday on ITV, kicked off with the 'Fright Bus' challenge, where celebrities had to manoeuvre red tokens along a yellow pole while being bombarded with bugs from above. The campmates were divided into smaller teams within the bus for the ordeal.
Ex-professional boxer Barry McGuigan, aged 63, found himself at the rear of the bus alongside reality TV sensation Maura Higgins, 34, and pop star Tulisa Contostavlos, 36. This trio was the last to tackle the task, positioned at the end of the line on the bus.
While Barry maintained his composure amidst the insect deluge, both Maura and Tulisa couldn't help but scream as creatures like green ants descended upon them. Despite offering support to his fellow contestants, there were hints that Barry might have been growing impatient.
When Maura struggled with discomfort and the red token lingered in her zone, Barry urged her: "Scrape them off you, come on! Just scrape them off, that's all," reports the Mirror.
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Later, as he focused on his segment of the challenge, he implored her: "Shh, calm down." Following what seemed like a chuckle, he repeated firmly: "Calm down, calm down, calm down."
The scene sparked quite the buzz on X, previously known as Twitter, where fans didn't hold back their thoughts on the trio's dynamic. Sympathies were extended towards Barry - whose son Shane McGuigan reportedly had a brief romance with Maura in 2018 - for being sandwiched between two outspoken co-stars, with some fans speculating about underlying tension during the trial.
One amused fan commented with a laughing emoji: "Tulisa and Maura were p***ing Barry right off on that bus." Another viewer, finding humor in the situation, posted: "He was clearly trying to hold back from telling them to shut up and get on with it."
Another teased: "Poor Barry. Stuck between Maura and Tulisa - man just wants to get done and get home," while a fourth chimed in about the recent episode: "Fair play to Barry staying so calm between Maura and Tulisa."
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"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 fan. Echoing the sentiment, another shared: "Barry literally going through hell there - stuck in between a screaming Tulisa and Maura ... I feel for him."
Some fans cheekily speculated that Barry's vanishing act in the jungle with Tulisa could be attributed to a need to escape. The pair had set out toward the stream, armed with cooking gear, but Barry marched ahead, leaving Tulisa to shout for him upon her arrival at their destination.
Not long after, Barry emerged from the undergrowth, and Tulisa informed him that his jungle jaunt had taken him too far. One viewer humorously questioned: "Wonder if Barry has gone home after being stuck on the bus between two screamers. Tulisa cant find him."
Another fan jested about the incident, quipping: "Barry having to sit between Tulisa and Maura screaming their heads off. No wonder he decided to go missing."
I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! airs every night at 9pm on ITV1, STV and ITVX.
