Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly looked thrilled to be back on UK soil after a long stretch in Australia for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly couldn’t hide their delight as they arrived home after weeks away in Australia working on I’m A Celebrity.
The pair were spotted strolling through Heathrow Airport with their families in tow after taking the long flight back from Brisbane.
Hosts Ant and Dec, both 49, were in a jubilant mood as they touched down in the UK following another successful series of the long-running reality show, that saw McFly star Danny Jones be crowned King of the Jungle in a nail-biting final.
Proud dad Dec was seen holding onto a suitcase and the hand of his daughter Isla. While Ant McPartlin took charge of the luggage while wife Anne-Marie pushed their seven month old son Wilder in his pushchair. The 2024 series has been the first time Ant has juggled dad duties with working in Australia, after becoming a first time dad earlier this year.
Delan Donnelly beamed as he strolled through Heathrow Airport with daughter Isla after landing home after I’m A Celebrity (
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w8media)
Ant McPartlin was joined by wife Ann-Marie and their son Wilder (
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The Geordie duo have joined the mass exodus of ITV stars leaving Oz – with GK Barry, Coleen Rooney and Alan Halsall also being pictured heading home following Monday’s wrap party.
Coronation Street star Alan was moved to tears as he reunited with his daughter Sienna, who he shares with former girlfriend and o-star Lucy Jo Hudson. While Coleen had to wait to see her husband Wayne and eldest children again as they had a reunion behind closed doors at home.
More than seven million people tuned in to watch Danny Jones be crowned the king of the jungle on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! on Sunday night – a jump of around half a million over the finale last year.
An average audience of 7.1 million viewers tuned in to see the McFly star Jones beat TV personality Coleen Rooney to the title, a rise from the 6.6 million viewers who watched TV star Sam Thompson win last year, ITV said.
Singer and guitarist Jones secured his win after receiving 55.2% of the public vote, while Rooney came in second with 44.8%, according to the vote count.
Ant and Dec will be enjoying Christmas at home with their families after weeks away (
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w8media)
During his time in the jungle, Danny completed trials with creepy crawlies and opened up about personal issues including how his father does not speak to him. Appearing via video call on ITV’s Lorraine on Monday, he said: “Jungle time is crazy. It goes so slow but friendships seem to blossom really quickly.
“And you do have time to talk and there’s no distractions like phones and other things. So all we had was a campfire, a lovely stream, some jungle to chill in and the trials to do so you get to know everybody really well.
“But I think what made it for me was the campmates, the campmates were incredible. They had questions and they listened and we chatted, and we got to know each other so well.
“It was the most overwhelming, amazing, rewarding experience I think I’ll ever have in my life.”
It marks Jones’s third win this year after he came first on the latest series of The Masked Singer and his artist on ITV’s The Voice, Ava, whom he coached alongside his McFly bandmate Tom Fletcher, won the show in October.
Coronation Street star Alan Halsall’s daughter look thrilled to see him as the two shared a hug at Manchester Airport (
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MANCPICSS66)
The soap star spoke in the jungle about how much he was missing his girl (
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MANCPICSS66)Danny described it as a “crazy year”, admitting that he had planned to take six months off to move house ahead of his tour next year, but that he could not turn down I’m A Celebrity… when the opportunity presented itself.
He also admitted he did not expect to show his vulnerable side on the show and that he leaned on former Irish boxing champion Barry McGuigan for advice, describing him as his “jungle dad”.
“I just thought I’d go on there and have a bit of a laugh, which I did. I did chase the fun, I had a great time,” he said. “But I showed a side that only my nearest and dearest see, really. So I’ve been myself and shown everything, and I feel really thankful that everybody was bothered to vote for me. Honestly, I feel on top of the world being king of the jungle.”
Coleen Rooney arrives back in Manchester after appearing in I’m a Celebrity with sons Kitt and Cas (
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The star was joined by her mum who took care of two of her sons while their mum was in camp (
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MANCPICSS66)
The singer also revealed he feels “overwhelmed” by the support from the public and is “forever thankful” they voted for him being himself rather than as part of the band, as he is usually known.
During the final, Jones, Rooney and the Rev Richard Coles, who finished in third place, faced critters including spiders, snakes and cockroaches as they embarked on the last Bushtucker trial, The Towers Of Terror, where they had to collect stars and manoeuvre then across various levels and through untying knots.
The trio were able to retrieve all of the stars, meaning they won a reward of a three-course meal and drink.
Speaking via video call to Good Morning Britain, Coleen 38, said she felt ready to take on the show this time as her children were more grown up and she wanted a “challenge”.
She described it as an experience she will “never forget” but admitted it was “really hard” at times. “You what was my fear going in? It wasn’t the trials, it wasn’t the sleeping outside or the critters – it was karaoke and cooking,” she revealed. “And I didn’t have to cook because we had some cooks in there. And the karaoke night, I enjoyed everyone else and I had a singalong, but I stuck to me guns, I don’t do karaoke, so why would I go on a show and think I had to do it?”
Rooney, the wife of former England footballer Wayne Rooney, also explained she went in to the jungle for herself and with “no plan”.
“What you see is what you get and I think even my campmates were surprised,” she said.
Coleen’s family travelled back in style (
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Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)
“I think they thought: ‘Oh she she lives in a nice house. She’s used to luxury.’ I don’t mind getting stuck in, I’m a mum of four boys, we go on trail walks, we go into ponds, we go into lakes, we get dirty. I clean up after them.
“I’m strong and I don’t mind mucking in and getting busy with things. And the one thing that everyone said to me, and I knew I was going to stick to throughout the jungle, was to stay true to myself.”
TV star and author Coles, who was part of pop duo The Communards, hailed I’m A Celebrity as a “magical experience” following his departure, after securing third place.
“I’ve got 12 really good mates that I didn’t have before. I’ve learned stuff about myself, and I think most of all, it’s a renewed willingness to say yes to life’s challenges and adventures”, the 62-year-old told This Morning on Monday on a video call.
“Sometimes it’s hard to do that when you’re in your 60s as I am, but that’s no reason not to say yes. I’ve so glad I said yes, and I’ve been rewarded for it so hugely.”
