I'm A Celebrity UK: Hollie Arnold is first celebrity to be voted off

I’m A Celebrity 2020: ‘I’m devastated!’ Hollie Arnold fights back tears as she becomes the FIRST star to be voted off and bids an emotional farewell to her campmates

  • Paralympian Hollie Arnold, 26, was the first star to be eliminated from this year’s I’m A Celebrity, with the stars bidding her farewell as she exited Gwrych Castle
  • The star fought back stars as she admitted she was ‘devastated’ to be voted off, with even hosts Ant and Dec moaning that they were unable to give her a hug due to social distancing 
  • Following the first vote-off the celebrities will continue to be eliminated each night until the series finale on Friday, December 4th
  • This year’s stars won’t get to stay in the luxurious Palazzo Versace Hotel that houses the stars in Australia, with hosts Ant and Dec joking they’ll move into a ‘static home’ 
  • Earlier in the show AJ Pritchard and Shane Richie earned 11 stars for the camp in the trial Chamber of Horrors
  • AJ also struggled to hide his annoyance after accusing Jordan of leaving urine on the floor  
  • I’m A Celebrity continues tomorrow at 8:30pm on ITV with a highlights show. The main programme returns on Sunday at 9pm 

Hollie Arnold has become the first star to be eliminated from I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! 2020.

The Paralympian, 26, fought back tears as she bid farewell to the rest of the camp on Friday, admitting she was ‘devastated’ to be the first celebrity to leave but insisted she’d ‘never forget’ her experience and tipping DJ Jordan North to win.

As she exited Gwrych Castle via. a wooden walkway to replace the show’s famous bridge, there was no one there to greet her due to COVID-19 restrictions, with even hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly joking she’d be moving into a ‘static home’ to replace the usual luxury hotel. 

She’s off! Hollie Arnold has become the first celebrity to be eliminated from I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! 2020

As Ant and Dec revealed the results of the public vote, Hollie and Ruthie Henshall were revealed to be in the bottom two, as they announced the results, the sports star was led out of the castle by her fellow celebrities before they bid a moving farewell.

Sitting down opposite the pair she said: ‘I’m devastated. Yeah. But one of us has to go, right? Honestly, that was the best experience I’ve ever had. 

‘I never really knew what to expect, so it was just like, ”Go in there, and enjoy single minute of it”. It’s a crazy opportunity for me, and to meet those 11 amazing people … I can’t thank them enough, I love them. I miss them already, I really really do.

Farewell! The Paralympian fought back tears as she bid farewell to the rest of the camp, admitting she was ‘devastated’ to be named as the first star to leave

Amazing time: Hollie told hosts Ant and Dec she’d ‘never forget’ her experience in the camp, although she confessed she ‘had a feeling she’d be the first to be voted off


Off she goes! After making her exit Hollie tipped DJ Jordan as her pick to win, before making her way out of the castle and along a wooden walkway to pose for the famous departure snap

Leaving: Sadly the star wasn’t greeted by a member of her family due to current restrictions brought in by the COVID-19 pandemic

Hollie even admitted she ‘had a feeling’ she might be the first celebrity to leave the camp, adding: ‘I kind of had a feeling it might have been me. 

‘I feel like I’m slightly superstitious, and I thought when you guys were saying the names, I was like, ”It’s gonna be me, it’s gonna be me”. But honestly, I love everybody in there and I love what their values are and their friendships and what they mean to me. I will never ever forget this experience, ever.’

‘I just think that you never know what to expect when you walk in a room with 11 other people with different personalities and I’ve always found myself as a person who just goes out there and gets on with it. Even the god damn beans and rice. 

Not going to happen! Hollie also wouldn’t be enjoying a week of luxury at the Palazzo Versace Hotel in Australia, with hosts Ant and Dec joking they’d be moving into a ‘static home’


Candid: ‘I just think that you never know what to expect when you walk in a room with 11 other people with different personalities and I’ve always found myself as a person who just goes out there and gets on with it,’ she said

End of her journey: Discussing the tight-knit bond she had with her campmates, Hollie added: ‘I can’t wait to go back and watch everything but I just hope that our friendships and our love come through’

‘Honestly I everybody in there what their values are and what their friendship mean to me and I will never forget this experience. Everyone, I could pick up the phone to any one of them if I had a problem and they would answer and they would never hesitate to ring me and vice verse.

‘I can’t wait to go back and watch everything but I just hope that our friendships and our love come through, I’m going to miss on that hard bed and just being like ‘morning did you sleep alright?” Even saying goodnight!’

As Hollie exited the castle, she made her along a wooden walkway which replaced the show’s famous bridge, posting for snaps as she was showered to confetti.

Sadly the star wasn’t greeted by a member of her family due to current restrictions brought in by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hollie also wouldn’t be enjoying a week of luxury at the Palazzo Versace Hotel in Australia, with hosts Ant and Dec joking earlier in the show they’d be moving into a ‘static home.’

Goodbye! As they prepared for the first elimination of the series earlier in the show, the camp were moved to tears as they reflected on their time together in the camp


Emotional: Vernon Kay said the stars were ‘the perfect jigsaw of personalities,’ and Jessica Plummer broke down in tears as she thanked everyone for making her recognise her strengths’



No regrets! Jordan North admitted he was glad he did the show (far left) while Mo Farah said he’d achieved an amazing bond with everyone, and a tearful Giovanna Fletcher said: ‘This group has been amazing, I do feel like we’ve made friends for life’

Ahead of the elimination, the camp were moved to tears as they enjoyed the final meal together.

Shane Richie said: ‘You get to that point in your life around your 50’s where you think I’ve got all the friends I need but since I’ve come here I genuinely think each and every one of you I could phone and just go ”phooo” and put the phone down. We meet as strangers and leave as besties.’

Giovanna Fletcher added: ‘This group has been amazing, I do feel like we’ve made friends for life,’ while Russell Watson thanked everyone for making him and Ruthie feel so welcome, and praised the ‘awesome camp,’ while a visibly emotional Hollie Arnold said she’d never laughed so much in her life.


What an experience! Shane Richie said: ‘We meet as strangers and leave as besties,’ while a visibly-emotional Victoria Derbyshire added: ‘Honestly, I’ve adored observing us all essentially falling in love with each other’

It’s been amazing! Ruthie Henshall thanked the celebrities for her experience, as the campmates paid tribute to one another

Ruthie Henshall thanked the celebrities for her experience, while Vernon Kay said the stars were ‘the perfect jigsaw of personalities, and Jessica broke down in tears as she thanked everyone for making her recognise her strengths.

Beverley Callard said: ‘I’ve been in Coronation Street for 31 years and I truly have never worked or been with such a bunch of wonderful people as this, I’m proud to have you as friends.’

Mo Farah added he felt he’d achieved an amazing bond with everyone and Victoria Derbyshire broke down in tears as she said: ‘Life is so short and I came in here because I wanted a once in a lifetime experience. Honestly, I’ve adored observing us all essentially falling in love with each other. Thank you so much, I’ll never ever forget this my whole life.’ 

Cute: The group embraced as they reflected on their time together in the castle camp

And despite claims of a so-called tiff between them, AJ Pritchard and Shane joined forces to earn 11 stars in the trial Chambers of Horror.

As they walked to the trial Shane said: ‘I’m conjuring up being locked up in something and that’s my worst,’ while AJ added: ‘I’m excited, nervous… I’m the worst person thinking about what it could be. Actually, I don’t know anything, so trying to stay calm before I do freak out when I know what it is.’

The pair were told they would both be sealed in a chamber with their body below ground and their head above it, and in each round they needed to free the star off the thread using their tongue and mouth only. 

Clearly nervous, AJ said to Shane: ‘You’re shaking. I feel you shaking, he’s going for it,’ before volunteering to go first in the first round.

Dynamic duo: And despite claims of a so-called tiff between them, AJ and Shane joined forces to earn 11 stars in the trial Chambers of Horror


Scary: The pair were told they would both be sealed in a chamber with their body below ground and their head above it, and in each round they needed to free the star off the thread using their tongue and mouth only (Shane pictured left and AJ right)

Snippy: At one point AJ snapped back at Shane after the actor told him to ‘think of Anne Widdecombe’, saying: ‘No I’m thinking about my girlfriend’

Joking: ‘The curl cream is not going to survive this,’ AJ and Shane were showered in maggots and giant meal worms as they both released the stars in two minutes.

The next round saw them covered in locusts and crickets as they both released the stars in 90 seconds, while they did the same for the third round in 75 seconds while the box was loaded with scorpions 

After finishing the fourth round, which saw AJ snap at Shane that he was ‘thinking about his girlfriend’ both Shane and AJ placed their heads in the box to release the next two stars, with snakes placed in their boxes, with only AJ managing to release his star. 

We did it! The duo succeeded in coming close to a full house with 11 stars, sparking delight from the rest of the camp

But luckily the pair both succeeded in getting the last two stars, coming perilously close to a full house. 

Elsewhere in the show, Vernon Kay left his campmates in stitches as he joked the most famous person in his phone was his wife Tess Daly. 

While Mo Farah boasted of having Thierry Henry and Anthony Joshua on speed dial, the presenter said Tess, 51, was his most famous person. 

Vernon went on to tell Victoria how he used to dress up in a suit every Saturday when their daughter Phoebe, 16, was little so he could replicate the dances on Strictly with her.  

Funny: Elsewhere in the show, Vernon Kay left his campmates in stitches as he joked the most famous person in his phone was his wife Tess Daly

The conversation started when Victoria, 52, asked Mo who were the biggest celebrities in his phonebook. 

‘Probably Thierry Henry’ Mo replied. ‘He’s a nice guy’, before adding that he texts him every couple of weeks.

Victoria pushed and asked who the second most famous person would be. ‘AJ the boxer’ he replied. 

Sweet: While Mo Farah boasted of having Thierry Henry and Anthony Joshua on speed dial, the presenter, 46, said Tess, 51, (pictured) was his most famous person

Aww: Vernon went on to tell Victoria how he used to dress up in a suit every Saturday when their daughter Phoebe, 16, was little so he could replicate the Strictly dances 

Entertaining: Vernon joked that he had Brad Pitt’s number in his phone which Victoria fell for, before adding: ‘Who’s the most famous person. Probably the wife’ he laughed

Jess Plummer chipped in: ‘Mo Farah has quite a lot of celebrity friends. I’m very much looking forward to Mo’s birthday party next year. That’s all I’m gonna say.’

Vernon joked that he had Brad Pitt’s number in his phone which Victoria fell for, before adding: ‘Who’s the most famous person. Probably the wife’ he laughed.

As the conversation moved to family, Vernon told the group: ‘When Phoebe (his daughter) was watching Strictly with me, I used to dress up in a suit at first when she was young and we’d dance together.

‘She’d put a princess dress on, I’d wear a suit and when they were all dancing around we’d replicate that. 

Celeb pals: Jessr chipped in: ‘Mo Farah has quite a lot of celebrity friends. I’m very much looking forward to Mo’s birthday party next year. That’s all I’m gonna say’

‘Just out the blue one evening she said ‘daddy, is my mummy Tess Daly because we’d never really explained that mummy works on the telly because obviously mummy’s mummy’.’

Beverley said ‘My grandson, when he saw Liz Macdonald, he was about 6 or 7 and they don’t watch Coronation Street or anything because it’s like homework and then bedtime and all that anyway, it came on TV and Rebecca (her daughter) just said to George Oh George look there’s grandma and he went ‘Oh My God, why is grandma dressed like Sexy Gaga?!’.’

Elsewhere in the show, Vernon and Mo, 37, took on a series of maths puzzles in the latest Castle Coin Challenge and dressed as Robin Hood and Friar Tuck.

Using a bow and arrow they had to hit the target with the right answer to each mathematical question.  

Hilarious: Beverley went on to tell the group how her grandson saw her on Coronation Street 

Ha: Vernon and Mo also took on a series of maths puzzles in the latest Castle Coin Challenge and dressed as Robin Hood and Friar Tuck

Vernon said of the maths equations: ‘There’s nothing between our ears. We’re exhausted to the extreme.’

The pair visited Kiosk Cledwyn after getting the money bag and picked chocolate coins over mini cheddars as their prize. 

The camp were asked what percentage of Brits claim to have seen a ghost in their lifetime? Was it 11% or 20%. The camp opted for 11%, which was incorrect. 

Vernon said: ‘That’s the worst one yet. Chocolate coins, that would have been awesome,’ while Mo simply wailed: ‘Chocolate!’ as they returned to the camp to reveal the news

Vernon and Mo returned to tell the camp disheartened and delivered the news. 

Robin Hood to the rescue: Using a bow and arrow they had to hit the target with the right answer to each mathematical question

Challenging: Vernon said of the maths equations: ‘There’s nothing between our ears. We’re exhausted to the extreme’ 


Irate: At the start of the show AJ couldn’t hide his frustration as he accused Jordan North of leaving urine all over the floor, adding he was ‘annoyed’ the DJ wouldn’t own up to leaving a mess in the Privy, leading him to clean it himself (right)

At the start of the show AJ couldn’t hide his frustration as he accused Jordan North of leaving urine all over the floor, adding he was ‘annoyed’ the DJ wouldn’t own up to leaving a mess in the Privy.

Victoria noted it wasn’t the seat that needed cleaning as someone had left urine across the floor, leading Vernon Kay to joke one of the celebrities had a ‘really bad aim.’

After Jordan left the room, AJ claimed it was Jordan who was leaving urine on the privy floor, but Victoria hit back they had no evidence of that so shouldn’t say it.

AJ said ‘Yesterday, me, Shane and Mo waited around to see after everyone went into the toilet and checked.’ 

Unpleasant: Shane complained to the camp he was tired after spending all night on the toilet

A shocked Victoria said ‘Did you?!’ leading AJ to reply: ‘It really annoyed me because every guy was saying it wasn’t them.’

Jordan headed off to clean out The Privy, while Shane told Beverley he was tired as he’d been on the toilet all night.  

Beverley confessed she didn’t like going to the Privy when everyone was in the courtyard so she asked them to sing a song whilst she went in. 

Meanwhile Jordan joked that he would be doing a pantomime show next year after enjoying Russell Watson’s singing lessons.

During the episode, the tenor impressed his campmates with a rousing rendition of Nessun Dorma before launching into teaching them a few vocal techniques. 

New skills: Meanwhile Jordan joked that he would be doing a pantomime show next year after enjoying Russell Watson’s singing lessons

Russell gave the campmates a lesson, first getting them to do vocal exercises singing ‘zee zee zee’ and then ‘zo zo zo’ and then a ‘tongue trill’.  

Everyone got involved, however after singing a few notes Mo Farah joked: ‘I’m not a singer, I’m a runner. I just have to stay in my lane.’

And Jordan added: ‘I mean honestly, I’m going to be on Broadway this time next year. Maybe not Broadway. Maybe Panto. I’ll take Panto.’

They finished the lesson with scales. ‘Well I’m ready to go on a West End stage now,’ said Victoria Derbyshire after completing the masterclass. 

Pro: Russell gave the campmates a lesson, first getting them to do vocal exercises singing ‘zee zee zee’ and then ‘zo zo zo’ and then a ‘tongue trill’

Big fan: ‘When Russell sings to us, we are absolutely mesmerised. We’re so lucky to be in this environment,’ said Victoria after the tenor showcased his talents

While Vernon Kay commented: ‘There’s some scales where you think I’m ever going to get there, not in a million years’ as he sang and hit a top note.

‘But we managed. I think Russell was quietly impressed. I’ll be honest with you,’ he added.

The impromptu class was sparked after Victoria had asked Russell if he ever felt like not bothering to warm up his voice before he performed. 

‘I often think I just can’t be asked with Nessun Dorma. It’s very hard. I’ll do a little bit of it if you like,’ he said as he started singing the Puccini aria.   

All together now: The camp also sang White Christmas together during the musical session (pictured Ruthie Henshall, Victoria Derbyshire and Hollie Arnold)

‘When Russell sings to us, we are absolutely mesmerised. We’re so lucky to be in this environment,’ said Victoria.

Russell added ‘so the last note would be… ‘ as he reached the top note as the campmates clapped.

Victoria kissed him as she exclaimed: ‘Russell I’m crying. That is just so gorgeous.’

Hollie Arnold added: ‘One moment we’re sitting there engrossed in Russell singing and just you know a little bit teary some of the girls and oh it was just amazing. And then the next minute we’re all singing.’ 

Afterwards their lesson the group all sat around the camp fire and sang a group rendition of White Christmas led by Russell.

‘I’ve got to be honest. I loved White Christmas tonight. I thought the noise was much better than I was expecting. I was pleasantly surprised. They weren’t half bad.’

I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! continues tomorrow at 8:30pm on ITV. 

Hidden talent? Vernon didn’t think he’d be able to reach a top note during scales but managed to hit it in the end

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