I’m A Celebrity 2024: Live updates as Ant and Dec make brutal Rebekah Vardy joke to Coleen Rooney as celebrities enter the jungle in first episode of the series

The pairs have now left their jeeps but the race is continuing in boats…

Arriving at the bank of the river, they reach a signpost which reads:

Release a boat to continue the race

Each burrow on the riverbank contains one correct key which will unlock any boat

In order to release a boat, the beach celebrities will need to find a key, hidden inside a Hell Hole on the river bank.

Each Hell Hole will have multiple keys inside, as well as some critters along the way. One of these keys will unlock one of the packlocks holding a boat, with the others being decoys which won’t unlock anything.

Once a pair has unlocked a boat, they can immediately begin rowing to their next challenge.

The race is on, as the celebrities head off in jeeps to the next step of the competition.

Danny & Barry are first to arrive in their jeep, followed by Tulisa and Alan, and Jane and GK Barry.

Alan jokes about being a pretend mechanic if they break down in reference to his Coronation Street character Tyrone Dobbs.

Back at the beach, Barry, GK Barry, Alan, Coleen and Melvin watch in awe as the celebs make their dramatic entrance to join them and pair up.

As they each take their turns to pick, the celebrity pairings competing in a race to the finish line, the first three pairings are:

Danny & Barry (Team Orange)

When Dean lands, he has the choice of Coleen or his Radio 1 work colleague Melvin to choose from, and says: ‘Melvin, I’m so so sorry! Wagatha Christie you’re coming with me!’ As he runs with her to the next stage in the competition as they make up Team Yellow.

Last to pair up are Oti and Melvin for Team Pink, who run to catch up with the others.

However, whilst all other celebs have a jeep waiting for them, Oti and Melvin are left with an empty clearing finding out they are in last place and must therefore begin the long trek to camp!

This is the moment Ant and Dec opened this year’s I’m A Celebrity with a cheeky joke about Rebekah Vardy aimed at campmate Coleen Rooney.

The footballers wives were involved in a high-profile legal battle known as the Wagatha Christie case.

They reveal the news that they are about to take part in the epic race to become the first leaders of camp.

The race has already begun as they learn five of their fellow celebrities will be skydiving down to meet them in their current race order.

The celebrities will choose one of them to couple up with, competing in the rest of the race as a pair.

Once paired up, they’re instructed to leave the beach, follow the arrows and continue the race. With speed being of the essence, Ant and Dec wish them good luck.

Our second batch of celebrities are getting ready to meet.

First up is former Boxing Champion Barry McGuigan, and it isn’t long before he learns he isn’t the only Barry to enter the jungle as next up to join him is podcast and social media influencer GK Barry.

Joining them to make up the final five, are Corrie star Alan Halsall, TV presenter and DJ Melvin Odoom and TV personality Coleen Rooney.

As they waste no time in getting to know one another, they are interrupted by the sound of ringing nearby.

Going to investigate, they come across an emergency lifeguard pole. Pressing the red button, they are greeted by the voices of show hosts Ant and Dec, who have a surprise for them.

Next Ant says: “Now I’ve realised, we’re terrible hosts, we haven’t offered them a welcome drink…”

Ant and Dec call for two waiters, the celebrities are greeted by the sight of five welcome cocktails, consisting of blended bull’s penis and fish eye, with a vomit fruit garnish.

As the celebrities react with shock, Dean jokes: ‘That’s not a pina colada is it!’

Ant and Dec explain the order in which the celebrities finish these drinks, will be the order in which they jump out of their chopper, and are able to pick their partner.

Once united, the five pairs will continue on the race together in order to be the leaders of camp. One by one, the celebrities grab their drinks and get ready to begin the race.

First to finish his drink and show his empty mouth is Danny, who is allocated chopper one. Next is Tulisa coming in second, followed by Jane in third, Dean in fourth and Oti in fifth.

But as the five choppers set off and the iconic skydive awaits our first batch of celebs, where will they land?

In true I’m A Celebrity style, Ant and Dec make a grand entrance together in one of five choppers which appear and land, waving to the brand new contestants as they make their way up to the Villa.

As Oti says: ‘Here comes trouble!’

Pointing to the villa behind them, Dec says: “Take it all in because you won’t be here for very long…”

They explain the celebrities are about to take part in an epic race to determine the first leaders of camp.

Pointing down to the five choppers stationed at the lake, the celebrities are told there is one for each of them and they will be needing a parachute – as they’re about to go skydiving.

With excited and nervous reactions in equal measures, Ant and Dec then reveal that once they’ve landed they will then meet the five other celebrities, one of which they’ll need to pick to team up with.

The pair who win the race will win the coveted title of the first leaders of camp, unlocking the perks of being able to sleep in the comfort of the Leaders’ Lodge as well as being exempt from the first Bushtucker trial.

Kicking the series off to a luxurious start, five unsuspecting celebrities meet at a grand poolside villa, ready for the start of their jungle journey.

First up is dancer Oti Mabuse, who admits: “I’ve been camping once, and I said never ever again!”

She is shortly joined by the second campmate, N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos who exclaims: “Fancy seeing you here! You look gorgeous!” Before adding: “It feels like we’re in a bit of a dream.”

Next up, Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough joins the party, welcoming Oti and Tulisa into an excited hug, as he admits: “I’m shaking!”

Loose Woman and Journalist Jane Moore is the fourth celebrity to join, with McFly star Danny Jones being the fifth and final celebrity to arrive.

But as the five first celebrities wait poolside, they hear a noise, as they are greeted by five choppers coming closer.

It’s barely been a few minutes but the first Rebekah Vardy joke has been made.

In the opening monologue, Dec tells viewers it will be nice for Coleen to be in a trial not involving her WAG rival.

Before the opening titles, we hear a snippet from each celebrity and it’s fair to say their anxieties are on full display.

Coleen Rooney says, ‘I’ve never been as exposed as this in all my life’ while Tulisa says, ‘The perception of me as it stands is definitely going to get annihilated.’

Melvin tells the camera, ‘Don’t know what I’m doing here right now, there’s so much self-doubt creeping in right now.’

Right, the time has come!

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here is back on our television screens.

Stick with us throughout tonight’s first episode as we guide you through the first action from the Jungle.

They will spend up to three weeks sleeping in the Australian jungle among snakes and spiders while living off one portion of rice and beans a day.

But for some stars heading into the I’m A Celebrity jungle on tonight’s launch episode, the hardest challenge is already over.

From having their phones taken off them and flicking through 900 channels on the TV to three hours filming in the baking Australian heat – the celebs have revealed the ‘awful’ days leading up to the show spent in their hotel rooms which sent them ‘crazy’.

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have told I’m A Celebrity viewers they have ‘good and bad’ news ahead of tonight’s launch episode.

On their joint Instagram page, Dec said:

Hi everybody, Ant and Dec here. But you knew that. We’ve got a little update for you, because we know lots of you’ve been asking about Jungle Club this year. We’ve got some good news and we got some bad news. I’ll start with the bad news, shall I?

Jungle Club will not be going on straight after the main show. Sorry. The good news is it will be going on straight after the new ITV2 show. Yay!

So we are back, but we’re a little bit later. Yes, we are. It’s Jungle Club: Late & Live. One for all you night owls out there.

Sunday night will see the return of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! where a whole new bunch of stars will be heading to the jungle.

The hugely-popular ITV show has signed some huge names over the years and 2024 is no exception.

Next up to face the wilderness and a selection of trials will be the likes of WAG Coleen Rooney, Strictly’s Oti Mabuse and McFly singer Danny Jones.

And PR expert Riley Gardiner has now estimated how much this year’s stars are being paid in an interview with Ok! Magazine.

Starting with the lowest fees he believes Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough will have been offered up to £60,000 for the show.

• Read the full story by Amelia Wynne here

Her whirlwind trip to Las Vegas had fans convinced she wasn’t joining this year’s I’m A Celebrity as a late entry.

But MailOnline can reveal Maura Higgins, 33, will arrive in Australia ‘imminently’ and is simply cutting it fine with her partying in Sin City over the weekend.

An ITV source said: ‘She will be arriving this week, the brand trip was always part of the schedule as Maura had agreed to it and it fit into her arrival dates for the Jungle.’

For weeks it’s been rumoured the Love Island star, 33, was a contestant on the ITV flagship show and Maura has done her best to throw fans off the scent in the past few days.

But in an attempt to squeeze out every last ounce of luxury from her lavish lifestyle, Maura accepted a paid-for trip to Vegas with the beauty brand, Space NK, which she knew would be cutting it fine when it came to her arrival Down Under.

ITV is planning to make Coleen Rooney their new golden girl.

The WAG, 38, has signed the biggest ever deal in I’m A Celebrity’s 22-year history, securing an eye-watering £1.5million for her stint in the jungle.

With the series set to launch on Sunday, ITV have already began plotting maximum coverage to make Coleen a huge star, airing her Disney+ Wagatha Christie documentary on Thursday.

According to insiders, network bosses are hoping this will be the start of a long partnership with Coleen, with the door open for ‘huge TV deals’ and offers of This Morning appearances.

A source told MailOnline: ‘ITV have been asking her for I’m A Celebrity for ages but they’ve also asked her to do other shows and get her on This Morning.

• Read the full story by Connie Rusk here

Ruth Langsford is set to travel to Australia later this month to appear on I’m A Celeb spin-off show Unpacked, as she navigates the fallout from her split with husband Eamonn Holmes.

The Loose Women presenter, 64, will join the program to support her co-star Jane Moore, 62, who is a contestant in this year’s ITV series.

The trip comes as Eamonn, also 64, has been seen publicly with his new partner, Katie Alexander, 43, while Ruth showcased a fresh look with blonde hair extensions.

A source revealed to The Sun that the opportunity to join the spin-off show had been a welcome distraction for Ruth during a challenging year.

They said: ‘It’s been a tough year for Ruth and she’s been putting her best foot forward, she’s thrilled to have been asked to appear on this the spin off show and fly to Australia ahead of Christmas.

• Read the full story by Ruth Francis here

Eating a bull’s penis is so much harder than it looks – in every sense of the word.

So when you’re watching Coleen Rooney or NDubz’s Tulisa try to chow down on one during this year’s I’m A Celeb and you scoff, ‘I could do that’ – I guarantee you, you couldn’t.

From the single hair that stared back at me as I lifted it up to my lips and the stale clammy pink colour to the first unnerving crunch prompting an immediate gag reflex – it was just not humanly possible to eat.

• Read the full story behind Dolly’s challenge here

Can’t wait to see what Bushtucker Trials await this year’s celebrities?

We’ve dug out a few from our Mail archive to remind you just how horrifying they can be for those inside the Jungle.

Watch our clips below to see comedian Iain Lee and politician Kezia Dugdale wade through fish guts, Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder bitten by a snake and boxer Amir Khan downing a disgusting smoothie.

We’ve also include the moment presenter Ant McPartlin tried his hand at a challenge in a special programme to lead up to the 20th series.

We hope you enjoy these…

And here’s the one involving Ant McPartlin…

The celebrities in the camp come and go but Ant and Dec are going nowhere.

The TV presenters are back this year to present the ITV show

And ahead of tonight’s launch, the pair have kept fans of the show updated about their Australian exploits which included sharing a video of themselves heading onto the set for the first time.

A caption across the video read: ‘Us seeing the jungle for the first time (this year).’

In the clip, the friends are seen walking across the set before pulling shocked face as Dec falls to his knees.

He is the bookies’ favourite to be crowned this year’s King of the Jungle with the odds 2-1.

When asked why he thought that was, Danny Jones beamed and shouted: ‘Because McFly fans are awesome.’

It is the power of the noughties pop band which ITV insiders are sure will see win this year’s I’m A Celeb having also seen his popularity as a coach on their talent show, The Voice.

The star power that comes with being a member of McFly should not be underestimated with tried and tested magic to help Danny beat the likes of super WAG Coleen Rooney and N-Dubz’s Tulisa.

Danny, along with Harry Judd, Dougie Poynter and Tom Fletcher, launched their group in 2003 off of the back of Busted who were in the process of splitting.

According to the bet365 bookmaker, McFly’s Danny Jones is the favourite to be crowned the winner of the upcoming series which could see him join his bandmate as Jungle royalty.

Meanwhile, a separate gambling website has listed Coleen Rooney as odds-on to take on the first Bushtucker Trial…I’m sure we all know someone who will vote for her

It’s ……….obvious isn’t it?

Here’s a list of previous winners since the show began:

• 2002 – Tony Blackburn
• 2003 – Phil Tufnell
• 2004 – Kerry Katona
• 2004 – Joe Pasquale
• 2005 – Carol Thatcher
• 2006 – Matt Willis
• 2007 – Christopher Biggins
• 2008 – Joe Swash
• 2009 – Gino D’Acampo
• 2010 – Stacey Solomon
• 2011 – Dougie Poynter
• 2012 – Charlie Brooks
• 2013 – Kian Egan
• 2014 – Carl Fogarty
• 2015 – Vicky Pattison
• 2016 – Scarlett Moffatt
• 2017 – Georgia Toffolo
• 2018 – Harry Redknapp
• 2019 – Jacqueline Jossa
• 2020 – Giovanna Fletcher
• 2021 – Danny Miller
• 2022 – Jill Scott
• 2023 – Sam Thompson

Celebrities will spend the next three weeks eating and sleeping at Dungay Creek in Dungay, a town with a population of little more than 300 people.

The nearest big town is Murwillumbah in New South Wales, around 83 miles south of Brisbane.

I’m A Celebrity has been filmed at the same location in Australia, Springbrook National Park, since the second series of the reality show after Queensland was chosen as the inaugural base.

In case you haven’t seen who has entered the Jungle this year, let’s remind ourselves of the celebrities aiming to be crowned King or Queen over the next three weeks:

• Tulisa Contostavlos, 36, pop star who is a member of N-Dubz and a former judge on The X-Factor
• Coleen Rooney, 38, television personality and wife of former England and Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney
• Barry McGuigan, 63, former boxing world champion turned promoter
• Danny Jones, 38, singer and lead guitarist of pop-rock band McFly and judge on most recent season of The Voice
• Melvin Odoom, 44, BBC Radio One DJ and presenter who has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing
• Oti Mabuse, 34, professional dancer who has appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and is a judge on Dancing on Ice
• Alan Halsall, 42, Coronation Street actor for more than 20 years after joining cast to play mechanic Tyrone Dobbs
• Jane Moore, 62, journalist, author and television presenter who is a regular panellist on ITV’s Loose Women
• GK Barry, 25, internet personality and social media influencer who hosts the Saving Grace podcast
• Dean McCullough, 32, BBC Radio One DJ who also appeared regularly on Big Brother: Late & Live

* Two further additions are expected to the initial line-up with Maura Higgins and Reverend Richard Coles understood to be joining later in the series

Read more on the line-up for this series here

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! as the ITV series returns to the nations screens tonight.

Over the next three weeks we can expect to see celebrities far removed from their comfort zone as they attempt to conquer the Jungle.

Whether it’s taking part in terrifying Bushtucker Trials or struggling to adapt to life in a rat-infested camp, MailOnline will be on hand to bring you the biggest stories from Australia.

Tonight, we will guide you through the launch episode as the newly formed campmates are seen together for the first time since leaving their lives of luxury behind them in the UK.

Stick with us for the latest developments and send us your reaction either by posting in our comments box or me directly at jamie.bullen@mailonline.co.uk.

The show starts at 9pm on ITV.