'Once you become a parent, the times when you leave the house are extra special'

Comedian Joel Dommett on returning to the I'm A Celebrity jungle and how fatherhood has changed him

- KENZI DEVINE, JEN PHARO

When he shot to fame on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Joel Dommett’s biggest fear was heights. Now his biggest fear is never getting a full night’s sleep again. The TV host and his wife, model Hannah Cooper, welcomed baby Wilde Cooper-Dommett in September 2023 and it’s been a huge lifestyle change for the celebrity couple.

“My biggest phobia now, as a dad, is my child not sleeping through the night,” jokes Joel, 39, who confides that Wilde is a “very cool little kid”.

Now Joel is heading back to the jungle to host ITV2 and ITVX spin-off show I’m A Celebrity… Unpacked alongside 2023 champion Sam Thompson and Capital Radio DJ Kemi Rodgers. Although he won’t be in the camp this time, Joel will still be on his guard for spiders, snakes and other critters when he’s on set. “There are also some really mad critters in Australia that are just in your dressing room,” he says. “And there are no cameras around. You never know what you’re going to see!”

The show kicks off on ITV1 on Sunday 17 November and the star-studded line-up is rumoured to include Coleen Rooney, Oti Mabuse, McFly’s Danny Jones, Tulisa, Jane Moore, DJ Dean McCullough, boxer Barry McGuigan, Melvin Odoom, Corrie’s Alan Halsall, Love Island’s Maura Higgins, the Reverend Richard Coles and social media influencer GK Barry.

However, Joel reckons his wife and baby would make great campmates. “From a purely selfish perspective, I’d like my wife and one-year-old child in there, so I could see them every day from afar!” he laughs.

While Joel is sworn to secrecy over the final line-up, he teases, “What I love about this show is the mix of real old-school famous people, with new, young, fresh faces that can share a new perspective.”

SAM THOMPSON

As the reigning king of the jungle, Sam Thompson can’t wait to be back at the camp.