Jesy Nelson has reportedly pulled out of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! just weeks before Ant and Dec’s show is set to return to screens after being faced with a tough decision
Jesy Nelson has reportedly pulled out of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Jesy Nelson has reportedly pulled out of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!
The pop star, 35 shot to fame when she won The X Factor in 2011 and was part of Little Mix alongside Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall. But in recent years, the singer has been through a tough time and recently split from Zion Foster, whom she had been engaged to for just under a year.
Prior to that, Jesy gave birth prematurely to their twin daughters Ocean and Story in March 2025, and both of them were born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1, and neither of them are likely to ever walk.
Jesy gave birth to twin daughters Ocean and Story in March 2025, and both of them were born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Jesy successfully lobbied the government and joined with the Mirror to campaign to have all newborns tested for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) (Image: Getty Images for The NTA’s)
Jesy successfully lobbied the government and joined with the Mirror to campaign to have all newborns tested for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) when her twin girls were diagnosed too late after irreversible nerve damage. It’s thought that the star had been hoping to use an appearance on I’m A Celebrity to raise awareness of the condition but now, with just weeks to go until Ant and Dec’s ITV reality show is back on screen, it’s emerged that she has pulled the plug.
A source said: “Jesy was so excited about joining I’m A Celebrity, mainly because it was giving her a platform to continue her campaigning for SMA. She has already helped change Government policy over testing newborns for the condition.
“I’m A Celeb was going to be where she could spread her message even further, and show a side to her the public may not have seen before. It’s with a very heavy heart she has pulled out.”
However, the insider also claimed that bosses will always consider Jesy, who who would have been the first member of Little Mix to enter the jungle, for a slot on the show in the future.
Speaking to The Sun, the source added: “Ocean and Story are unwell and there is no way Jesy would leave them. Her family are her priority. ITV have been amazing and are supporting her all the way. The door will always be left open for Jesy.”
In September, bosses were said to be hopeful that Jesy would be signing her contract in a matter of weeks and were “thrilled” that they have got this far., although the outlet now claims that the singer told bosses last month that she could not commit to the series.
Jesy would have been the first member of Little Mix to compete on I’m A Celeb(Image: Getty Images)
It was reported that producers were keen for her to speak about her time in Little Mix and her decision to suddenly quit in 2020 when she had arrived in the jungle.
The hit reality show, which began in 2002, usually airs for three weeks in November and sees Ant and Dec broadcast live from the Gold Coast in Australia. Other names rumoured to have signed up this year include footballer Wayne Rooney, former Strictly Come Dancing pro Nadiya Bychkova, cricketer Ben Stokes and Kaiser Chiefs star Ricky Wilson amongst a host of others.
A spokesperson said: “Any names suggested for I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! are just speculation.”
The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment
