I am a Celebrity returns on Monday November 16, 2026 at 9pm on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player. The 26th series will be hosted by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. The reported lineup has 12 campmates, led by former footballer Wayne Rooney, Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page, model and presenter Leomie Anderson, Paralympic medallist Ade Adepitan, and Love Island star Chloe Burrows. ITV has not officially confirmed the full cast, so every name below is reported, not official, and the list is subject to change. Several stars have already landed in Australia, with Rooney first through Brisbane Airport on Monday November 9.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Show | I am a Celebrity, 26th series |
| Start date | Monday November 16, 2026 at 9pm |
| Channels | ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player |
| Hosts | Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly |
| Reported campmates | 12 |
| First arrival | Wayne Rooney, Brisbane Airport, Monday November 9 |
| Spin-off | I am a Celebrity Unpacked on ITV2 and ITVX |
| Spin-off hosts | Sam Thompson and Kemi Rodgers |
| Last winner | AngryGinge, crowned King of the Jungle in 2025 |
| Official confirmation | ITV has not officially confirmed the full cast |
The full reported lineup
The Sun reported the 12 person lineup in early November, and other outlets have since shared similar lists with small differences. The names below are the ones most often repeated across reports from The Sun, OK! Magazine, Tyla, GiveMeSport and Spectrum FM.
Wayne Rooney is the headline name. The former England captain and Manchester United striker is now a football pundit, and he is reported to be the biggest ever signing for the show. His reported fee is said to surpass the reported record 1.5 million pound fee paid to his wife Coleen in 2024. Bookmakers have tipped him as a favourite to win.
Joanna Page is best known as Stacey in Gavin and Stacey, a role that made her a household name in Britain. She has a natural, down to earth style that often works well in camp.
Ade Adepitan is a Paralympic wheelchair basketball medallist and television presenter. He is reported to be the first contestant to take part while using a wheelchair.
Leomie Anderson is a model and television presenter who has walked major runways and built a strong following through fashion and lifestyle work.
Chloe Burrows first found fame on Love Island and has since built a career as a presenter. She is known for her lively personality and quick wit.
Leigh Francis is a comedian and television presenter, best known as Keith Lemon. His comedy is loud, playful and full of energy.
Ricky Wilson is the frontman of Kaiser Chiefs, with television experience as a coach on The Voice. His name appears in several reports, although some lists place Mariella Frostrup in the final places instead.
AJ Odudu is a presenter known for her bright screen presence and her work across entertainment and live television. She is quick, confident and warm.
Claire Sweeney is a Coronation Street actress with a long career in television and stage. She arrived in Australia on Tuesday November 10, wearing a snakeskin print jumpsuit.
Sharky, whose real name is Sharmarke Mohamud, is a YouTuber and a member of Beta Squad. His arrival in Australia has already been spotted.
Jack Skipper is a stand up comedian who has built a following through live shows and social media clips. His humour is observational and direct, and he could be a strong voice around the campfire.
Mariella Frostrup is a presenter and broadcaster with decades of experience in television and radio. Some outlets list her among the 12, while others list Ricky Wilson in that place. Reports differ slightly on the final places, so treat both names as reported rather than settled until ITV confirms the cast.
Stars land in Australia
Stars fly into Brisbane Airport in the days before filming, then move to a hotel where they wait for the series to begin.
Wayne Rooney was the first star to land. He touched down at Brisbane Airport on Monday November 9 after a 21 hour flight. At 41, he has said he wants to do better than his wife did in 2024, when Coleen finished as runner up.
Ade Adepitan was the third famous face to arrive, and Leomie Anderson was the fourth to touch down at Brisbane Airport. Claire Sweeney became the fifth contestant to land, arriving on Tuesday November 10 in a snakeskin print jumpsuit. Sharky has also been spotted arriving in Australia.
Rooney must follow a strict show rule for seven days after landing until the show starts on November 16. SportBible reported the rule, and it is part of the careful build up that keeps the campmates apart before filming.
Wayne Rooney and the Coleen connection
Rooney follows his wife Coleen, who was runner up in 2024. Coleen was a popular campmate, and she came close to winning the series. Her reported record fee set a new mark for the show, and now her husband is reported to have passed that mark, with a fee reported to surpass her reported 1.5 million pounds.
The comparison will follow Rooney into camp. He has said he wants to do better than his wife did, which means he is aiming for the crown rather than a safe run. If he settles in well, handles the trials and wins over the group, he could go far.
Coleen knows what camp life feels like, from the hunger and the cold showers to the long nights and the trial nerves. Rooney will have heard those stories at home, yet hearing about it and living it are very different things. His football career should help him stay calm when a trial gets tough. Camp life also rewards people who listen, share and muck in, not only people who lead.
For more on the fee reports around his signing, read Wayne Rooney reported as highest paid star. The fee talk is part of the story, but it is not the whole story. Viewers will judge him on how he behaves in camp, how he treats others and how he handles the hard moments.
What to expect from the series
The 26th series will follow the familiar format that has made the show a winter staple. Twelve campmates will live together in the Australian jungle, with limited food, basic beds and daily trials that test their nerve. Ant and Dec will host from camp, guiding viewers through the trials, the camp gossip and the nightly evictions.
Trials are likely to be a big part of the early shows. They set the tone, reveal who is brave, who is nervous and who can make the group laugh under pressure. Eating trials, heights, water and creepy crawlies are all part of the tradition. The campfire chats are often just as important, because viewers learn about the stars through quiet talks late at night, when the cameras catch honest stories and unexpected friendships.
The spin off show I am a Celebrity Unpacked also returns live on ITV2 and ITVX, presented by Sam Thompson and Kemi Rodgers. It will offer reaction, interviews and behind the scenes talk after the main show. AngryGinge was crowned King of the Jungle in 2025, beating stars including rapper Aitch, Jack Osbourne and Ruby Wax. This year, Rooney starts as a bookmakers favourite, but favourites do not always win, and viewers often back the campmate who grows on them over time.
The show also sits in a busy television week. The Voice has just had its first live show and elimination on November 9, which you can read about in The Voice season 30 first live show. Festive television is also starting to appear, with the Waitrose Christmas advert featuring Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson, covered in Waitrose Christmas advert with Keira Knightley. I am a Celebrity arrives into that mix as the biggest reality launch of the season.
FAQs
When does I am a Celebrity 2026 start?
It starts on Monday November 16, 2026 at 9pm on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player. Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly will host the 26th series.
Who is in the reported I am a Celebrity 2026 lineup?
The reported 12 are Wayne Rooney, Joanna Page, Ade Adepitan, Leomie Anderson, Chloe Burrows, Leigh Francis, Ricky Wilson, AJ Odudu, Claire Sweeney, Sharky, Jack Skipper and Mariella Frostrup. Reports differ slightly on the final places, and ITV has not officially confirmed the full cast.
Who was the first star to arrive in Australia?
Wayne Rooney was the first star to land, touching down at Brisbane Airport on Monday November 9 after a 21 hour flight. Ade Adepitan was third, Leomie Anderson was fourth, and Claire Sweeney was fifth, arriving on Tuesday November 10.
Is Wayne Rooney the favourite to win?
Bookmakers have tipped him as a favourite to win. He is reported to be the biggest ever signing for the show, with a fee reported to surpass Coleen Rooney reported record 1.5 million pound fee from 2024, when she finished as runner up.
SOURCES
Final Thoughts
The reported lineup for I am a Celebrity 2026 has a strong mix of sport, comedy, music and reality television, and the arrivals in Australia show that the series is now very close. Wayne Rooney leads the list as the biggest reported signing, yet the winner is often the campmate who earns trust day by day. With the start date set for Monday November 16 at 9pm, fans do not have long to wait. The first trials will show who can handle hunger, nerves and camp life, and the first campfire talks will show who the group trusts. That early test often shapes the whole series, and it is where a quiet campmate can quickly become a viewer favourite.
