Major Strictly star tipped for I’m A Celebrity and ITV bosses are ‘over the moon’-Kitty Chrisp-Entertainment – Metro

Speculation about who is heading into I’m A Celeb jungle in November is heating up (Picture: ITV/ Getty)

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse will be heading to the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here jungle, it has been claimed.

November sees the new series of the creepy-crawly reality ITV show, and Oti, 34, – who quit the dancing show in 2022 after winning the glitterball twice – is hotly tipped to be one of the contestants.

After leaving Strictly having bagged wins with Bill Bailey and Kelvin Fletcher, Oti went on to become a Dancing on Ice judge – and sources say ITV bosses are ‘over the moon’ she could be appearing in the jungle alongside hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

An ITV source told The Sun: ‘Oti is a brilliant name for I’m A Celebrity, she’s hugely popular and well liked by the ITV audience so bosses are over the moon she could be a campmate this year.

‘She’s very much seen as being part of the ITV family of stars and is always guaranteed to be great fun.’

In response to the source’s claim, ITV told Metro.co.uk: ‘Any names suggested for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Here are just speculation.’

Oti won Strictly with Bill Bailey in 2020 (Picture: PA)

She also won the glitterball trophy with Kelvin Fletcher in 2019 (Picture: BBC)

This comes after Oti and her partner Marius Lepure welcomed their first child together last year in what was a turbulent time for the former dancer.

The little girl – whose name Oti hasn’t publicly shared – arrived early and spent six weeks in an incubator in a critical condition.

The couple announced her arrival on Christmas day around nine weeks after she was born, after initially announcing Oti was due over the festive period.

Oti and Marius met in Germany where they were paired as dance partners, and married in 2014.

She joined Strictly the following year, and she and Marius moved to the UK together – she has gone on to find major success in presenting, including her self-titled Saturday morning show.

Oti left Strictly in 2022 and welcomed her first child last year (Picture: Shane Anthony Sinclair/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)

Other potential I’m A Celebrity candidates tipped for the November show include Tommy Fury – after his shock split from Molly-Mae Hague – fellow Strictly star Zara McDermott, Coronation Street’s Helen Worth, Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd, Strictly’s Giovanni Pernice, and Phillip Schofield.

After the general election Conservative wipeout – and given the show’s track record of welcoming MPs and political voices with open arms – Rishi Sunak’s entire former cabinet are also tipped for a jungle entrance.

ITV were blasted for the controversial decision to include Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on the line up in 2023 – months before he won his first ever seat in parliament after seven failed attempts – and the year before the show signed up former health secretary Matt Hancock.

Last year’s series of the ITV reality competition I’m A Celebrity saw the likes of Sam Thompson, Fred Sirieix, Tony Bellew and Nigel Farage enter the Australian jungle.

Made in Chelsea star Sam emerged as the King of the Jungle, putting to bed the 23rd series of the show, which has been on air since December 2023.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here returns on ITV in November.

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