The 26th series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! returns to our screens on Monday (November 16th), sounding the starting gun on three weeks of Bushtucker Trials and celebrity meltdowns in the Australian jungle.

The celebrities will kiss goodbye to their mobile phones, internet, social media and television as they swap the comforts of home for three weeks of eating animal testicles, being covered in creepy crawlies and confronting their worst fears.

Former England and Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney is the biggest name and early favourite to be crowned the 2026 King of the Jungle – and go one better than his wife Coleen, who finished runner-up in 2024.

But who are the celebrities taking part in the 26th series of I’m a Celebrity, once again hosted by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly?

1. Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney has turned his hand to management, punditry and podcast hosting since hanging up his boots in 2021 at the age of 35.

Rooney, now 41, scored a club-record 253 goals during his time at Manchester United, but his managerial career has been less successful, with spells at Derby County, DC United, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle.

The father-of-four is a regular on BBC’s Match of the Day, hosts The Wayne Rooney Show and appears on Gary Neville’s Stick to Football.

In August 2026, he also launched Stick to United with Wayne Rooney, a weekly Manchester United programme co-hosted with Mark Goldbridge and distributed through Disney+ and YouTube.

With more than 30 million followers across social media, he’s a dream celebrity for the show’s producers, advertisers and the assembled journalists.

While most contestants lose weight during their time in the jungle, a new-look Rooney has reportedly already shed 20kg ahead of his appearance after giving up drinking and embarking on a rigorous fitness regime.

Rooney is reportedly being paid £800,000 for his appearance in the jungle.

  • The other celebrities on this year’s show are: Ade Adepitan; Leomie Anderson; Chloe Burrows; Mariella Frostrup; AJ Odudu; Joanna Page; Sharky; Jack Skipper; Claire Sweeney; and Ricky Wilson.