Seann Walsh tells how I'm A Celebrity revived his career

...and how he'll miss his kids as he returns to the jungle

Four years after he was famously paired with Matt Hancock on I’m A Celebrity, Seann Walsh admits he still regards it as the most surreal experience of his life.

As he prepares to enter the South African jungle with other former contestants for the new series starting on Monday, the comic says he could not stop laughing for 30 minutes when he found out he was paired with the former Health Minister.

‘People still come up to me and bring up Hancock’s entrance into the show,’ he says. ‘I always tell them that however long it felt like I was laughing on the show, it was actually for longer - about half an hour! It’s the most surreal experience I’ve ever had.’

For all that, Walsh says he loved being on the programme – and is happy to be back for second helping despite his phobia of creepy-crawlies.

‘I had so much fun the first time around, I didn’t have to think for very long about whether I should do it or not,’ he said. ‘When you cross that bridge after you are out in the original series, anything difficult about the experience completely disappears and you are left with these wonderful memories that you get to keep for the rest of your life.

‘Then as soon as you agree to go back in, all the things that were difficult return. I’ve still got phobias. The programme only cures you of your phobias when you are in there. As soon as you are back home, they all return! I’m feeling both nervous and excited.’

Walsh acknowledged that his first stint in I’m A Celebrity boosted his career – especially given his experiences on Strictly Come Dancing when an illicit kiss with dance partner Katya Jones turned him into a tabloid pariah.

Speaking of his time in the jungle, he said: ‘It changed my life in a very positive way. I was able to go back on tour again and sell out rooms again. I am forever grateful.’

He added that what he leaned about himself was that ‘I do get on with people. The truth is outside of the jungle, I keep myself to a small group of friends and doing stand-up is extraordinary but lonely at times. I get nervous meeting new people and so it’s nice to know I can do it.’

And his highlight of his time there was singing Karma Chameleon with Boy George. ‘The first concert I ever went to was at Wembley Arena to see Culture Club,’ Walsh explained. ‘To then sing this song with him was wonderful. We’ve stayed in touch ever since. He’s an incredible human being.’

However the comic said he said he’s prepared for things to be much tougher second time around, because he knows what to expect: ‘I know what it feels like to have those ants biting me or to have thousands of bugs all over you and it’s not nice. I think knowing is worse than not knowing.’

Walsh says the lack of food causing tiredness will also be a test again. ‘It’s a real mountain to climb. People came up to me afterwards and asked if we secretly have food prepared for us – but we really don’t.’

Since Australia, he is now a dad of two and he says it will be hard being away from his children. ‘In camp, time really slows down,’ he says. ‘You really feel it in there. Not only are you away from your children, but it’s also how far away you are and that’s tough.

‘I am worried about that. It is going to be a new experience. I do cry as a daddy. If my daughter says: "I love you daddy’, I start crying. Being apart from them is going to be difficult whilst I am there."’

But he also says that it would be ‘incredible’ to be able to tell them he had been ‘crowned a legend’ should he win the second all-stars series.

‘I have had a very strange, unique career and it’s been a rollercoaster. I came fifth last time and so to go back in and become a legend – well that would be absolutely amazing.’

Published: 3 Apr 2026