I’m A Celeb bosses target Love Island legend to replace Tommy Fury – & they’re banking on her spilling Molly-Mae secrets
LOVE Islander Maura Higgins is in advanced talks to join I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! after boxer Tommy Fury pulled out just weeks before the show started.
His exit helped pave the way for the Irish model and TV host because it meant there wouldn’t be two stars from the ITV2 dating show going into the jungle in the same year.
Maura, 33, actually vie for the affections of Tommy, 25, when they were both on Love Island in 2019, but he ended up with Molly-Mae Hague, also 25, and the couple dated up to this summer when they split.
Revelations about the separation – which were surrounded by allegations of cheating – could emerge around the campfire because Maura and Molly are now best friends.
A Jungle insider said: “With Tommy Fury pulling out it gave show bosses the opportunity to look at other Love Island stars and Maura stood out as the perfect candidate.
“She’ll bringing a bit of glamour to the jungle and make a brilliant campmate because she’s got a great sense of humour and is bound to get on with everyone.
“It’s shaping up to be a strong year for woman on I’m A Celebrity this year.”
Other names in the frame for this year include WAG queen Coleen Rooney, Dancing on Ice judge Oti Mabuse and N-Dubz singer Tulisa.
The stars usually jet down under in Mid November, around a week before the show, hosted by Ant & Dec, kicks off its three-week run on ITV1.
The Sun exclusively revealed yesterday how Tommy was pulling out of the jungle before signing a binding contract, despite the fact he’d been in talks with ITV producers for months.
It is understood he had been offered another more lucrative project, which is believed to be a rematch between KSI and Tommy, the younger half-brother of heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.
It was thought he might have given his side of the story on the split with Molly-Mae, but now jungle bosses will be hoping Maura takes on the mantle.
She was back in the headlines this week when she was seen getting up close and personal with Strictly Come Dancing pro Kai Widdrington at the Pride of Britain Awards.
She was previously in a relationship with another Strictly pro, Giovanni Pernice, but they split in 2021.
Maura has long been seen as a rising star with ITV bosses, and she’s appeared on everything from Dancing on Ice to Cooking with the Stars.
Currently she hosts the After Sun spin-off from Love Island US.
A spokesman for I’m A Celebrity declined to comment.