It's been reported that last year's I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! early dropout Olivia Attwood won't be returning to the Australian jungle any time soon.
The long-running iconic ITV reality show is just days away from returning to our screens, but despite some promising discussions behind the scenes, Love Island 2017 star Olivia, 32, has instead accepted a six-figure presenting gig while I'm A Celebrity concurrently airs.
A MailOnline source revealed: "Olivia was so upset when she had to suddenly leave the jungle last year… everyone saw how incredibly disappointed she was. She had been in discussions with ITV to return to I'm A Celeb for months, both sides wanted it to work because it was unfair that her time on the show was cut so short when it was always her dream to take part.
"But the opportunity to front a brand-new dating show on ITV came along and she jumped at the chance. The show is tipped to be the next big dating series since Love Island but centred more around exploring relationships, so it is a real full-circle moment for Olivia. She adores presenting but also loves reality television and has never forgotten the platform that Love Island has given her… this new role perfectly marries the two."
Olivia, who married professional footballer Bradley Dack back in the summer, has forged quite the working relationship with the broadcaster, so this new partnership isn't terribly surprising.
Speaking at the recent Edinburgh TV Festival, ITV2 boss Paul Mortimer even went on to label her "the new
".
"She was one of the standout Love Islanders a few years ago and has gone on, via TOWIE and her own reality show and some brilliant immersive docs," he commented.
"She, I would vouch, is the face of the future. She's a great talent who is being nurtured by ITV and working her way slowly through the ranks. Inevitably I believe she will be the new Cilla Black."
Due to anaemia, Olivia was forced to leave the jungle after just 24 hours in the 2022 series.
"I was absolutely devastated. I'm not a crier but I started to cry, it was so emotional, and I was heartbroken and gutted. I was so scared," she told The Mail on Sunday in the aftermath.
In ITV's original statement regarding her departure, a spokesperson shared: "As a precautionary measure Olivia needed to leave the jungle to undergo some medical checks. Unfortunately, the medical team has advised it is not safe for Olivia to return to camp as there needs to be further investigation. She has been absolutely brilliant and she'll be very much missed on the show."
She'd hoped to use her I'm a Celebrity stretch as a launchpad for her rebooted career.
"Obviously I would be extremely open to looking at doing some more primetime stuff or even live presenting," she teased before entering the jungle. "It is definitely an area that I would love to dip my toe and I think half of the relationship I have with the channel and going into the show is kind of we are moving towards something but I don’t quite know what it is yet but like I say I am really, really pleased with where I am at right now but excited about what the future holds."
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