Jeremy Clarkson in the Australian Jungle? The I’m A Celebrity 2026 Rumoured Lineup Has One Name Nobody Saw Coming

The biggest name on the list is a jaw dropper

Every autumn the same ritual repeats in Britain. Newspapers start guessing, bookmakers start shortening the odds, and ITV says absolutely nothing. It is officially jungle season again, because the rumoured lineup for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! 2026 has dropped, and if even half of these names turn out to be true, we are in for one of the most talked about series the show has ever had.

Let us start with the name that made the internet do a double take. Jeremy Clarkson, the former Top Gear presenter and one of the most recognisable faces on British television, is reportedly in the frame for a stint Down Under. LADbible shared the lineup speculation with its millions of followers, calling it potentially one of the wildest jungle lineups yet, and singled Clarkson out as being linked to the series.

Think about it for a second. The man who has spent decades on farms, road trips and studio sets, suddenly dropped into the Australian outback, sleeping in a hammock and facing the Bushtucker Trials. It sounds absurd, which is exactly why it would be television gold. Nothing is confirmed, but the rumour alone has dominated the conversation this week.

Wayne Rooney could follow Coleen into camp

Perhaps the most concrete rumour concerns a former England captain. Wayne Rooney is reportedly in advanced talks with ITV, and a source told The Sun that if they land him, he will be the show’s biggest signing in its history. His wife Coleen took part in the 2024 series and proved hugely popular with viewers, so the template is right there. A couple who both survived the jungle would be a genuine reality TV first, and ITV knows it.

Ben Stokes, who recently retired from international cricket, is also being tipped, with Ladbrokes suggesting the jungle could be his next challenge.

Pop stars and Strictly links

Jesy Nelson, the former Little Mix star, is reportedly at a very promising stage of talks, with ITV bosses hoping she will sign her contract in the coming weeks. Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs has reportedly signed on after years of politely declining invitations. The Chiefs are no strangers to major 2027 lineups either, having also been announced for the Isle of Wight Festival’s 25th edition alongside Robbie Williams, which you can read about in our full rundown of the festival’s Saturday night headliner.

Then there is Su-Elise Nash of Mis-Teeq, who supported Sabrina Washington through her own jungle experience and could now get her own shot, with sources saying the Mis-Teeq reunion reminded everyone how much love there still is for the group. And from the fan generated Super TV list, Diversity dancer Perri Kiely rounds out the pop and dance contingent, alongside former Strictly professional Nadiya Bychkova, who is reportedly in advanced talks. Bychkova has always been on the show’s radar, sources say, but her Strictly commitments blocked it. Now she is a free agent, and the offers have been coming thick and fast.

Olivia Attwood wants a second chance

This is the redemption story the producers must be dreaming of. Olivia Attwood made her I’m A Celebrity debut four years ago, but just two days into the experience she was forced to leave for medical reasons. She is now reportedly in the frame for round two, and a return run after an unfinished one is exactly the kind of narrative viewers adore.

She would not be the only Love Island link either. Chloe Burrows is reportedly in advanced talks after meeting I’m A Celeb bosses several times. Sources say she made it clear she would love a chance to go to Australia, and ITV sees her huge social media following as a way to pull in a younger audience, in the same way Angry Ginge and GK Barry did. Love Island stars have been jungle gold before, as we saw with Samie Elishi’s whirlwind year, and Chloe looks like this year’s bet.

The battle for the younger audience

Last year proved the formula works. YouTube star Angryginge, real name Morgan Sam Lee Burtwistle, was crowned King of the Jungle, beating Celebs Go Dating’s Tom Read Wilson and EastEnders’ Shona McGarty in the final. Now ITV wants more of the same, and Beta Squad member Sharky, real name Sharmarke Mohamud, is reportedly in their sights. Sources say he is absolutely massive with young people and that the Beta Squad’s tens of millions of followers would engage with the show if he went in.

Big Brother host AJ Odudu is also reportedly in talks, telling ITV bosses she is keen as mustard and would love facing the Bushtucker Trials. With her presenting dates secured, she is free for November, and she fits the same high energy slot perfectly.

A possible first, and Joanna Page’s pitch

Paralympian and presenter Ade Adepitan is reportedly in talks and could become the first wheelchair user to take on the show, with producers said to be looking at ways to adapt the camp. His larger than life personality is exactly what the format thrives on, and a landmark casting would say a lot about where British reality TV is heading. Reality TV is dominating British screens right now, from The Celebrity Traitors to Strictly, and this kind of ambition would raise the bar even further.

Welsh actress Joanna Page, beloved as Stacey from Gavin and Stacey, has reportedly met ITV bosses to discuss signing up. She is said to have confided in friends that she is really keen to take part and wants to make her children proud. Given Gavin and Stacey’s cultural status, bosses would love the public to get to know the real Joanna.

What ITV is actually saying

Here is the cold water, served fairly. An ITV source told The Sun that final decisions will be made closer to November, when the cast are due to fly out to Australia. ITV itself has been clear that any names suggested are just speculation. History tells us some of these predictions will be eerily accurate and some will be nowhere near.

Earlier this year, former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer was said to be odds on, along with Olympic champion Christopher Dean and Ibiza figure Wayne Lineker, but reports say that trio failed to make the cut. And back in July, Junior and Princess Andre, whose parents famously met in the jungle back in 2004, admitted they would love to go in together one day. That may be one for the future.

Why this one could be special

The 26th series returns on November 16 with Ant and Dec back at the helm, and the first trailer, released on October 16, showed the duo conducting a choir singing a jungle version of the 12 Days of Christmas before everyone got soaked in twelve tubs of offal, as reported by Capital FM and Radio Times. The question now is which twelve famous faces will actually be there on launch night. If the rumours are right, start counting down, because Jeremy Clarkson eating bugs on live television is the kind of thing you do not forget.