ITV bosses have confirmed that Holly Willoughby– well known for fronting other popular ITV shows like This Morning, Dancing on Ice and Play to the Whistle– will be filling in for Ant McPartlin for the jungle show’s eighteenth series.
ITV’s hit show ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ has been a huge staple in British television for sixteen years now, so when it was announced that Ant McPartlin would be taking a break from his television commitments until 2019, there was much speculation about who would take his place alongside his long-time TV partner, Dec, or whether the show would go ahead at all. Many keen viewers of the show suggested that Willoughby should co-host the upcoming series, as well as other popular presenters such as Philip Schofield, Stephen Mulhern and Scarlett Moffatt.
Holly’s Statement
Willoughby’s new role was acknowledged on her morning show with Philip Schofield today, This Morning. In a statement, she said “I couldn’t be more excited to have been asked to stand alongside Dec for the next jungle adventure. I love Ant and I want to send him my best wishes and support for a continued recovery. These are big shoes to fill, but just to keep warm for a little bit… Honestly I’m a huge fan of ‘I’m a Celebrity’ and actually feel like I’ve won a competition to go and hang out with my favourite show! When is it a good time to tell Dec I’m scared of everything that moves?!”
The Reason For Ant’s Absence
Earlier this year, regular co-host Ant McPartlin caused a car collision while under the influence of alcohol, resulting a driving ban and an £86,000 fine. This lead to McPartlin’s decision to enter a rehabilitation centre for his alcohol and drug addiction, after completing one month of treatment for the same problem just five months prior. His representatives then announced that he would be pulling out of all television commitments until 2019 to recover.
The Public’s Reaction
When the news of Holly Willoughby’s new role emerged this morning, it received mixed reactions from Twitter. Many were happy with the announcement , whereas others were disappointed that Stephen Mulhern, who has a role in Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, was not chosen for the primetime gig due to his on-screen banter with Declan Donnelly.
The Oystercatcher’s Take
With such a popular show, there were bound to be some people that would disagree with the decision for Holly Willoughby to take Ant McPartlin’s place in this year’s series of ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here‘, but we will not know how she does until the time comes for the to show air. So fingers crossed that it delivers the same laughs and memorable moments as previous years!
- By Lucy Wright, Editor of Culture
- Sources: The Guardian, Metro, Twitter, ‘This Morning’ on ITV
