I’ve watched every series of I’m a Celeb – here’s why McFly’s Danny Jones is going to be King of the Jungle
I’ve watched every series of I’m a Celebrity and here’s why I think Danny Jones is going to be the next King of the Jungle.
Ever since he first appeared on ITV screens, it’s fair to say the McFly singer has won even more fans.
I have interviewed Danny a number of times, both on a red carpet and in private sit down environments.
I can confirm that the energy you are seeing on screen is the exact same he displays off camera, which is very refreshing in this day and age.
We are sadly in a world full of set-up situations on reality TV and an age where many stars put on characters to appease viewers – think of Love Island.
Last year we saw Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson fly through the rounds of voting to win over the nations hearts.
Every Bushtucker Trial he did, he gave it his all but was also incredibly entertaining to watch.
It was because he was just himself from start to finish, unfiltered, full of energy with a sort of inspirational get up and go attitude to camp life.
We saw how Nigel Farage’s impressive and shrewd attitude towards the trials earnt him legions of new fans to make it into third place.
And with Danny, from just the first episode we saw not just the same sort of personality in camp, but that same determination in the trails.
I can personally say that I was in awe of how he handled the huge snake that slithered it’s way right through his shorts.
We couldn’t help but look away in horror as they had to delicately remove the creature at the end of the trial.
But Danny stayed brave throughout and he never cowered away from the challenge.
Although Barry struggled to cope with the stress of the trial, Danny got all five stars available to him.
The star was also incredibly candid and was not afraid to show is emotional side as he opened up on his battle with anxiety.
He also has somewhat of a home field advantage with his own bandmates and the circle of his showbiz friends.
McFly's UK number one songs
Here are all of McFly's songs that reached number one:
- Five colours in her hair (2004)
- Obviously (2004)
- All about you (2005)
- You’ve got a friend (2005)
- I’ll be ok (2005)
- Don’t stop me now (2006)
- Star girl (2006)
- Please, please (2006)
- Baby’s coming back (2007)
- Transylvania (2007)
His bandmate Dougie Poynter beat out former Towie star Mark Wright to be crowned King Of the Jungle in 2011.
It’s clear he has told Danny all that he needs to know about the Australian Jungle.
And of course his other bandmate Tom Fletcher also has a connection to the long-running series,
His wife Giovanna was crowned the Queen Of The Castle, despite the threat of the lovable Jordan North.
I remember the glee of her publicist when she won the crown, but I was not surprised in the slightest.
Danny never cowered away from the challenge of a bushtucker trial.
Indeed, I actually felt almost a smug feeling as I knew she would win all along in 2020.
It is clear that Danny has been surrounded by I’m A Celeb giants and if this enthusiasm continues, I can see him going all the way.
The threat of Loose Women star and our own Sun Columnist Jane Moore looms large around camp, and for good reason.
She is already impressing me with both her own warmth around camp and of the stories from her time as a Royal Correspondent.
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Coleen Rooney – Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney, has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever.
Tulisa – The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year’s I’m A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal.
Alan Halsall – The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities.
Melvin Odoom – The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet – the Aussie jungle.
GK Barry – The UK’s biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers.
Dean McCullough – A rising star amongst this year’s bunch of celebs, Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live.
Oti Mabuse – The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV’s Dancing On Ice.
Danny Jones – The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle, after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he’s now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice, along with bandmate Tom Fletcher.
Jane Moore – The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge – having recently split from her husband. It will be Jane’s first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past.
Barry McGuigan – Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer. He told The Late Late Show in 2021: “She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache.”
Maura Higgins – The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard. Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year.
Rev. Richard Coles – Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity, and he’s ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star, said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: “Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth.”
Tulisa is also surprising many with her candid chats and she is reminding the country why they fell in love with her on The X Factor.
But with all of their recent tours, Danny is sure to have many of his own stories from his time in McFly.
Coming from a music band of that stature, it also gives him an edge of already having millions of fans around the country that may rally to vote for him.
This is combined with the fact that he has both emotional vulnerability in the rough times and energy in happy times.
So I think we should all bow down to the next King Of The Jungle, Mr Danny Jones!
I’m A Celebrity continues on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITX.