I'm a Celebrity 2024: Sussex's Reverend Richard Coles enters the jungle

“I spent two years living in a monastery so I know what it’s like to be 24/7 with people. We got more cake though – that made life a bit easier.” These were the Church of Engand priest’s first words on the hit ITV show last night, while making a surprise appearance as a new contestant.

Rev Coles who lives near Friston, East Sussex, is known for being in the 80s band The Communards and was, until March 2023, co-presenter of BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live.

This isn’t his first appearance on reality TV though. The celebrity vicar also appeared on the 2017 season of Strictly Come Dancing and in the 2016 season of Celebrity Masterchef.

Rev Coles has joined the show as a latecomer, alongside Love Island’s Maura Higgins. The pair will initially live in a separate camp, according to presenters Ant and Dec, and will be tasked with ‘a very secret mission’.

Speaking ahead of his entry into the jungle, Rev Coles admitted he has ‘no strategy other than to be himself’.

He said: “You can’t keep up a façade. I enjoy meeting other people and I was a vicar for a long time, so I’m used to being with groups of people and finding a way to make it work.

“I’m a nosey person as well and so I’m interested in finding out how they think.

“I will definitely give the Trials a go. I might collapse halfway through, I might be screaming and crying on the day, but I would like to think I will give it my best shot.”

He added that what he’s most nervous of in the jungle is ‘getting in there and not recognising people’.

“You could be talking to the most famous influencer in the world and not know who it is,” he said.

The camp’s other contestants include: Danny Jones, Oti Mabuse, Jane Moore, Barry McGuigan, Melvin Odoom, Alan Halsall, Tulisa Contostavlos, GK Barry, Coleen Rooney and Dean McCullough.

I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is on ITV1 and ITVX tonight at 9pm.