Harry Redknapp almost caused Gemma Collins to quit new ITV I'm A Celebrity series with unexpected remark

Alex Davies
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:00:02 +0000

Harry Redknapp almost caused the early exits of two of his I’m A Celebrity…South Africa co-stars shortly after they touched down in South Africa.

The ITV reality series returns to screens next week with Mr Redknapp joining the likes of Olympian Sir Mo Farah, former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt, and Pussycat Dolls singer Ashley Roberts back in the jungle.

Recalling the incident at a press roundtable, singer Sinitta spilled all on how the former football manager almost prompted her and reality star Gemma Collins to quit.

She told the media: “I think we’d done really hard trials all day, or some sort of game, so we were physically exhausted.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

“We got back and we’re all relieved (that) nothing else can happen now, because they’ve exhausted us, it’s getting dark now it’s getting late, so that must be it, we can relax.

“And Harry comes in and says, ‘Guys, you’re not going to believe this’, and he’s got the board, and he starts reading this awful trial, I think it’s called something like the House of Hell, Prison of Hell, or something."

The singer claimed that Mr Redknapp informed his fellow campmates that the challenge would involve rats and being tied up, among other things.

Explaining the impact Mr Redknapp's words had on the camp, Sinitta said: "We’re already broken (and) literally before he could finish reading it out, Gemma was like, ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here’.

"I have to admit, my hand went up that I was like, ‘You know what? Me too, I’m too exhausted, gotta go’ – and he was pranking us."

The Only Way Is Essex star Ms Collins is no stranger to an early exit from the survival show, famously quitting the series in 2014 after just three days.

Despite Mr Redknapp pushing Ms Collins to the brink of quitting early doors, the reality TV star stayed put.

In fact, according to another of her co-stars, Ms Collins surprised her campmates by throwing herself headfirst into the trials at hand.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Alan Davies candidly opens up on cancer battle as he delves into operation ordeal in new update

William Shatner, 95, firmly hits back at brain cancer diagnosis rumours after sick hoax

Jack Whitehall risks wrath of pal David Beckham as he makes Victoria-Brooklyn wedding dance jibe

Former boxer David Haye was among those who praised her efforts, telling press: "She was the one that I was told going into it, that she kind of flaked out the first time around, and I didn’t have high hopes.

"But of all the people watching her go through what she went through, she doesn’t have an ounce of quit in her at all.

"Whatever she did the first time round, she obviously looked back, a few years have gone by, and she’s like, ‘I’m going to give it everything’.

"Fortunately for the show, she did, because she was part of some real heavy challenges that she should be proud of herself."

The series also stars comedian Seann Walsh, Red Dwarf’s Craig Charles, ex-footballer Jimmy Bullard, Coronation Street star Beverley Callard and actor Adam Thomas.

Sinitta and Mr Haye aren't the only ones to address the new series. Speaking on ITV's This Morning on Tuesday, Gogglebox star Ms Moffatt revealed who she thought could win the entire thing.

She quipped: "Is it bigheaded if I say me? To be honest with you, I hope Harry Redknapp wins.

"He's just so wonderful. And Sir Mo Farah as well. We'd still be trying to get the fire lit if it wasn't for Sir Mo. He just looked after us all."