I'm a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here! is one of ITV's best-loved reality shows that has seen many famous faces over the years, and now John Barnes is set to be one of them joining the line-up for the next series. Despite on-going reports that the reality competition, which usually airs in the winter, could be postponed over the coronavirus pandemic, the retired footballer has seemingly confirmed that he'll be heading Down Under to partake in the show.
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According to the Mirror, the former Liverpool and England star has revealed to the Bonus Code Bets website that he will be taking part in the show and is ready to tackle all the challenges thrown his way. John reportedly explained: "I've done a number of shows in my days, from Family Fortune to Strictly Come Dancing but nothing as adventurous as I'm a Celeb. And to be honest, there's nothing that I wouldn't eat or anything I wouldn't do... I'm fairly easy-going, if they asked me to do something, I'd do it."
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Former footballer John Barnes has discussed heading Down Under
The athlete then further explained why he wanted to take on the challenge of the jungle, stating: "Similar to why I went on to do Strictly Come Dancing all those years ago, it'd be good to lose some weight, perhaps try to beat Nick Knowles' two-stone weight loss." The news of John joining I'm a Celebrity comes shortly after ITV boss Kevin Lygo revealed that they were planning on going ahead with the next series, despite there being restrictions on travel and social distancing since the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking to Edinburgh Television Festival, the executive explained that the show was "likely to return this year," but bosses were seeking alternative arrangements for the show to go ahead.
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Meanwhile, the bookies have listed Scotland as the most likely destination for the celebrity contestants to relocate to, while other locations include Bardsey Island in Wales at 5/1, the Lake District at 8/1 and London at 16/1. Speaking about the potential change in location, a spokesperson said: "We're well accustomed to seeing I’m A Celebrity contestants in warm weather in Australia, but this year could be very different."
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