Ant

Rio and Kate Ferdinand have reportedly signed up for an I’m A Celebrity: Wild Frontier, a new spin-off of Ant and Dec’s classic reality show which will be filmed in Canada

Rio and Kate Ferdinand have reportedly signed up for an I’m A Celebrity: Wild Frontier. The football star, 47, who tied the knot with Kate in 2019, is said to be in the final stages of signing up with bosses of the ITV reality show.

If they have signed up, it means they have become the first married couple to join the show, which is focusing on celebrity pairs. Together, they will have to face their own daredevil challenges and Bushtucker Trials and it will mark England star Rio’s first venture into reality TV.

A source said: “Bosses are overjoyed to have landed the Ferdinands. It’s a real coup for the show. They have brilliant chemistry and are great fun. It will be the first time viewers have really seen Rio away from football chat, too.

Speaking to The Sun, the source added: “ITV are still in talks with some other brilliant names and this show promises to be absolutely spectacular — and a real social media talker.”

Just weeks ago, it was claimed that Westlife star Brian McFadden and Boyzone singer Keith Duffy, who have joined forces in recent years to tour as Boyzlife, had also agreed to appear on the show.

Unlike the Australian series, the spin-off will see celebrities competing in pairs, with friends, relatives and couples taking on Bushtucker-style trials together before facing elimination as a duo.

The show is reportedly due to air in 2027, as part of celebrations marking 25 years of I’m A Celebrity – which first hit screens in August 2002 and saw DJ Tony Blackburn crowned as the first King of the Jungle.

It was thought that the long-time friends had signed lucrative deals to appear in the series, with a source claiming: “Bosses are delighted that Keith and Brian will be taking part, they’ll each bring a lot of fun and mischief to the camp.”

The insider added that producers are excited by the new format, claiming it is expected to get viewers talking as famous duos battle it out together.

Rather than competing individually, contestants will reportedly tackle challenges as pairs, working together to win food and survive eliminations before one winning duo is crowned.

Filming is expected to take place in Canada’s Callaghan Valley, near Whistler Olympic Park, replacing the Australian jungle for the special spin-off series.

The area is known for its rugged wilderness and is home to wildlife including grizzly bears, black bears and mountain lions, providing a dramatically different backdrop for the celebrity survival show.

Brian already has a link to the I’m A Celebrity franchise through his former wife Kerry Katona, who was crowned Queen of the Jungle in 2004. Meanwhile, the main I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! series will continue to be filmed in Australia as normal later this year.

The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment.

There have been 18 winners of BGT so far – seven music acts, two dog acts, two magicians, three comedians and four dancers/dance groups.

The first winner was crowned in 2007, when opera singer Paul Potts impressed with his rendition of Nessun Dorma. The following year, 14 year-old George Sampson won after showing off his break dancing skills.

The third winner was Diversity, who are perhaps one the best known BGT acts. Their leader, Ashley Banjo, has gone on to become a TV presenter. Dancing seemed to be a big hitter with audiences, as dance group Spellbound won the following year.

In 2011, singer Jai McDowall broke the dancers’ winning streak, and the next year, the crown went to Ashleigh Baker and her dog Pudsey. But, in 2013, the winners were once again dancers, as Attraction, a dance troupe that used movement to create images and tell a story came first.

2014 saw singing group Collabro win with their musical theatre performances. Jules and Matisse, another dog act, won the next year’s series. The first magician to win was Richard Jones, who won in 2016, while in 2017, pianist Tokio Myers won next.

Comedian Lee Ridley, who went by Lost Voice Guy, won in 2018. Singer Colin Thackery won in 2019. Comedy singer Jon Courtenay won in 2020 and comedy continued to be winner in 2022 and 2023, when Axel Blake and Viggo Venn were announced as the winner.

2024’swinner was musical theatre singer Sydnie Christmas and the most recent winner was musician Harry Moulding.