Noel Edmonds says he turned down Strictly Come Dancing before signing up for I’m A Celebrity.
TV legend Noel was confirmed for this year’s I’m A Celebrity line up last night. He’ll join the current campmates later in the week.
But it was far from the first show he was asked to do, having previously been approached by Strictly.
Noel revealed ahead of his jungle stint: “I have been asked to do Strictly. Liz [Noel’s wife] is a fully-trained singer and dancer and a couple of years ago she said, ‘Why don’t we cheat? Why don’t we say you’re a novice and I’ll teach you before’.
“Then I think there was one of those curse moments and I said to her, ‘Are you comfortable with me spending five or six days a week with a half-naked woman draped all over me?’ And it’s funny how the conversation just changed.”
He went on to joke: “I would be a cross between Ann Widdecombe and John Sergeant. But in my head I’m Fred Astaire. I don’t know why, nothing works — it’s hopeless, so I’d never do it.”
Noel turns 70 shortly after I’m A Celebrity finishes this year and has vowed to retire from our television screens if he is crowned King of the Jungle.
Making his promise to retire, he said: “I am going to win because I promise the British public if they vote for me, I will retire from television and I will never appear again.
“There’s a deal that I am striking with the great British public who have supported me over the years – they make me ‘King of the Jungle’ and I will retire and never appear again!”
Noel is the eleventh celebrity on this year’s cast.
Those already in the jungle are football manager Harry Redknapp, Corrie star Sair Khan, TV presenter Nick Knowles, singer Fleur East, popstar James McVey, TV’s ‘The Governess’ Anne Hegerty, Hollyoaks actor Malique Thompson-Dwyer, comedy actor Emily Atack, actor & entertainer John Barrowman MBE and actor Rita Simons.
I’m A Celebrity 2018 airs nightly on ITV at 9PM.
