Tony Bellew is heading into the I'm a Celebrity jungle as a late arrival for the 2023 series. The former professional boxer will be joined by jockey Frankie Dettori as they prepare to lead their campmates in a new task upon landing in Australia.
Tony is known for his impressive boxing career, as well as for his portrayal of fictional boxer Ricky Conlan in the Rocky spin-off film series Creed and Creed III. Since his retirement from boxing in 2012, Tony has turned to the world of TV, appearing on shows such as SAS: Who Dares Wins and A League of Their Own.
Now the 40-year-old is heading into the jungle, we're curious - just how much money does the sportsman make and why did he retire from boxing?
Who is Tony Bellew and what is his net worth?
Tony, who hails from Liverpool, is a former WBC cruiserweight champion. He made his professional boxing debut in 2007 and in 2010, became the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion - a title he held until 2014.
According to an article from The Independent in 2018, Tony's net worth was expected to rise to £15m following his final fight with Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk in 2018, which was set to make him £4m.
Tony previously raked in £2.8m for his first fight with David Haye in 2017, and a minimum of £2.5m for the rematch the following year.
© Kevin Quigley/ANL/ShutterstockWhy did Tony Bellew retire from boxing?
When he retired in 2018, Tony held a record of 30 wins from 34 professional bouts, suffering just three losses and one draw.
On why he stepped back from boxing, he told GQ: "My body can't take anymore. I will get out and enjoy the rest of my days."
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© Tony Bellew/InstagramWhy has Tony signed up for I'm a Celebrity?
While Tony was apprehensive about joining the 2023 line-up, it was his wife Rachael Roberts who persuaded him to take the plunge.
"This is going to be very hard and I am apprehensive," he said in a statement to ITV. "I had to think long and hard about doing it because it is so out of my comfort zone and it was my missus who talked me around to doing it."
© Joel AndersonThe former boxer added that making his children proud was also important to him. "Ant & Dec are the best in the business and everyone knows that," he said. "They are unbelievable. I want to come in for the experience and leave a little bit of a trail for my kids who will be able to say: 'My dad did that'. And it is my children who motivate me.
"The biggest incentive is to make them proud. I am getting excited now and it is going to be surreal being with Ant & Dec. I’ve never met them before!"
