He ran the gauntlet in the I'm a Celebrity castle when the show was set in Wales in 2020 and Vernon Kay has offered a theory over why Olivia Attwood may have been forced to leave the jungle. TV and radio presenter Vernon, 48, from Bolton, took to Twitter following the news that Love Island star Olivia, 31, had to quit the show in Australia after just 24 hours.
Before the return of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! on Sunday night (November 6), former castle campmate Vernon was crowned the winner of The Masked Singer’s I’m A Celebrity crossover special after being unmasked as Koala. Vernon came third on the reality show when it was hosted at Gwrych Castle during the coronavirus pandemic.
He said about Olivia's departure: "Olivia Atwood has left @imacelebrity hopes all is ok!" He added: "Them prawns sat in the sunlight all that time were never a good idea…"
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Olivia, who was voted by the public to be a 'Jungle VIP' chose DJ Chris Moyles to be her guest for a luxury meal before the pair were tasked with a helicopter jump to start their jungle adventure. They were given a taste of the high life by jumping out of a chopper at 10,000ft. Chris joked to Olivia: “You take me for a prawn and then in a helicopter - you’re a s*** date.”
It was reported yesterday (Monday November 7) that former Love Island star Olivia had been forced to withdraw from the show on medical grounds. A spokesperson said: "As a precautionary measure Olivia needed to leave the jungle to undergo medical checks.
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"Unfortunately, the medical team has advised that it is not safe for Olivia to return to camp as there needs to be further investigation. She has been absolutely brilliant and she'll be very much missed on the show."
A statement posted on her Instagram later explained that fans will 'hear the truth in due course' about her shock exit. It read: "To say Olivia is heartbroken would be an understatement, she dreamed of doing I'm A Celeb for years, and was absolutely loving every second of the show and throwing herself into jungle life feet first (just as we knew she would).
"However, for reasons beyond her control her journey has been cut short. Your support and kind words have meant the absolute world to her, now as much as it always has.
The statement added: "You will hear the truth from Olivia in due course and she will back on your screens in the new year." And it signed off by joking: "Ps who's going to roast Matt Hancock now?"
At the start of Monday night's episode hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly addressed Olivia's departure, saying she would still feature in tonight's show. "We're very sad to see her go and we wish her well," said Ant.
The Manchester Evening News understands that Olivia, who starred in Love Island in 2017, won't be replaced. But there are still late entries to go in, reportedly former health secretary Matt Hancock and comedian Seann Walsh.
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