After much speculation, Ant McPartlin confirmed that he will not be presenting I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! alongside Declan Donnelly this year.
In a joint statement released via Twitter, Ant explained that he will be focusing on his recovery and has “made the decision to take the rest of the year off”.
Dec said that he is “proud” of his best friend and “fully supportive of his decision”, but also “sad” at the thought of heading to Australia without him.
This begs the question: who will stand in for Ant in the I’m a Celeb jungle this year? There was a lot of chat surrounding whether Dec might do the whole thing solo, but ITV bosses have now thrown cold water on this idea, instead confirming that someone WILL take Ant’s place for the 2018 series.
But who will take the spot? Here are the most likely contenders…
1. Scarlett Moffatt
Scarlett has almost become an unofficial member of the Ant & Dec club, having joined them as a special correspondent for Saturday Night Takeaway.
The former Gogglebox star also has the added kudos of spending time in the I’m a Celeb jungle already, taking a presenting spot on spin-off show I’m a Celebrity: Extra Camp. And let’s not forget that she was also crowned Queen of the Jungle during her own stint on the show in 2016.
Not long after Ant’s statement was released, she became the bookies’ favourite to co-host with Dec.
2. Stephen Mulhern
The Britain’s Got Talent presenter also seems to be a firm-favourite for the job, with fans taking to Twitter to praise his potential partnership with Dec.
He has also guest-hosted Saturday Night Takeaway before now, so we already know that the on-screen chemistry is there.
3. Holly Willoughby
The much-loved This Morning presenter has had her name thrown into the hat a few times. A close friend of Ant & Dec, she’s a treasured part of the ITV family and would certainly be a hit with viewers.
Rumours surfaced earlier this year that she could be in the running to join Dec in the jungle, whilst Ant’s involvement was still up in the air, but her representative apparently said the whole idea was “total nonsense”.
Hmm.
4. Caroline Flack
This one might seem a little out of left field, but she’s become the lady-of-the-moment thanks to the most recent record-breaking series of Love Island.
The Flack has also previously presented The X Factor, and we think she could make an interesting addition to the jungle.
5. Joel Dommett
Like Scarlett, Joel has a run in the I’m a Celeb jungle under his belt as well as the experience of presenting Extra Camp. He was very cagey when Digital Spy asked him about taking over hosting duties, but he didn’t say no…
Plus, he’s pretty damn funny.
6. Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo
The Made in Chelsea alum became a big hit with I’m a Celeb viewers during her own time in the jungle, winning her series by an absolute landslide.
She’s since taken up presenting roles at the NTAs and on ITV’s This Morning, so it wouldn’t be too wild a suggestion that she may be in the running…
7. Dani Dyer
Hear us out.
The Love Island star is hot property right now, having just won the 2018 series alongside her boyfriend Jack Fincham. She also just so happens to be the daughter of Danny Dyer (a national treasure) and has just landed her first presenting job.
If ITV bosses are reading this, we think this could be genius.
8. Julia Morris
The I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Australia presenter went viral on Twitter this week, and it sparked something of an online campaign to get her on the UK version.
In fact, she was then invited on Good Morning Britain to discuss the idea, and she told hosts that she’d “take the job in a heartbeat.”
“I am a huge fan of the show and lived in the UK for seven years, and when I came home to Australia and heard they were doing an Australian version, I went lock, stock and two very smoking barrels to get that job because it always looked like the boys were having so much fun,” Julia explained. “So I was lucky enough to land it.”
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! will return to ITV later this year.
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