There’s still no official word on who will replace Ant McPartlin on this year’s ‘Im A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’, but that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill going into overdrive.
Earlier this week Ant announced that he will not be presenting this year’s series, which kicks off in November.
The TV presenter - who makes up one half of duo Ant and Dec - will be taking a break from television until 2019, after being charged for drink-driving earlier this year.
Despite ITV insisting that discussions haven’t even started about who will stand in for Ant as he continues his recovery, we already have a front runner.
Step forward Holly Willoughby.
The ‘This Morning’ host does seem the obvious choice to join Dec in the jungle this year. For a start off she’s bezzies with Ant and Dec and she shares the same management company.
But the rumours that Holly might be in the frame for the job provoked a mixed response from fans of the show...
Not everyone was happy about Holly’s possible involvement...
HuffPost UK have reached out to ITV for comment.
This year’s series of ‘I’m A Celeb’ will be the first time Ant and Dec won’t front the show together in the 16 years since it launched.
In a statement issued earlier this week, Ant said: “My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off.
“I’d like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year.”
His regular co-host Declan Donnelly added: “Whilst I am obviously sad at the thought of being without my best friend in Australia this year, I am proud of the work Ant has been doing privately and I am fully supportive of his decision. I’m looking forward to us both being reunited on screen in 2019.”
Earlier this year, Holly revealed why she had chosen not to comment on Ant’s arrest on suspicion of drink driving.
The 37-year-old said she decided not to speak openly about the troubled star “out of respect for him”, adding that she felt it was something that nobody should be discussing.
She told The Guardian: “Everybody knows that Ant is a very good friend of mine and I’ve known him for a very long time.
“It’s not something anybody should be talking about. Out of respect for him, I love him to bits, it’s not something that I find very easy to talk about. Because it’s a friend. His is not my story to tell.”
She concluded: “He’s just got to look after himself, that’s all.”
