WAG Coleen Rooney is poised to sign a £1million TV deal after finishing second on I’m A Celebrity.
The winner, McFly pop star Danny Jones, is also being courted by ITV bosses for big new shows, insiders have revealed.
The pair went head-to-head in last night’s finale after the Rev Richard Coles finished third.
Before the show, insiders said if Coleen lost out on being crowned Jungle Queen, she was still on course to become one of the show’s most successful celebs.
A source said: “She is poised to sign a huge new TV deal, worth around £1million.”
It came as her mum, Colette, revealed her daughter asked her, “Have I been boring?” as they hugged during a camp visit this week with the Wag’s sons, Kit, eight, and Cass, six.
Colette said: “It broke my heart hearing that, but I said, ‘No, you’ve been yourself — and that’s all that matters’.”
Coleen also got emotional after making the final three, saying: “It’s very rare I’m proud of myself, so it means a lot. It’s very rare that I put myself first. So, yeah, these are happy tears.”
On her upcoming megabucks offers, a source told The Sun: “Coleen’s return to public life following the Wagatha Christie trial was carefully orchestrated — and it has more than paid off.
“When she was in the jungle, she was being touted as ITV’s next Holly Willoughby and the offers have already started flooding in.
“But there is one deal on the table that has really piqued her team’s interest.
“Given Coleen’s love of the Loose Women show too, the team want her secured on their guest roster, with a view to finding something more permanent for her.
“It isn’t just TV deals — lifestyle and nutritional brands have all been sending lucrative contracts her way, as well as high street retailers. They all want a piece of Coleen. The sky’s the limit.”
The mum of four, 38, will be reunited with hubby Wayne — the former England and Man United striker — this week when she flies back to the UK.
He is now manager of Plymouth Argyle.
Insiders said her family would be throwing a huge party to welcome her home.
But while Coleen wades through the offers, those close to the her said she would not be rushing into making decisions and would wait until the New Year before deciding what she wants to do next.
A source added: “Nothing will be agreed with any interested parties until Coleen sits down with her management team.
“Her priority when she comes out the jungle will be spending time with family but these conversations will be had when the time is right.”
Throughout I’m A Celeb, ITV has been heavily plugging her Real Wagatha Story documentary in ad breaks and at the end of the show, as part of a plan by execs to get her on board.
This year, she won a libel battle with fellow Wag Rebekah Vardy, who she accused of leaking stories about her.
Coleen had a tearful reunion with Kit and Cass, plus parents Tony and Colette as she crossed the jungle bridge.
A source added: “Coleen is a mum first and foremost. Her children mean everything to her.
“Doing the jungle was the first proper solo venture she has done in a long time so her next move will be chosen very carefully.
“She will only take the deal that is right for her and her family.”
After entering the jungle as the show’s highest-paid contestant ever — with a deal worth around £1.5million — Coleen won the hearts of the nation by showing how down-to-earth she is and by getting stuck into grim Bushtucker Trials.
Doing the jungle was the first proper solo venture she has done in a long time so her next move will be chosen very carefully
A source
Meanwhile, ITV bosses are keen to secure McFly’s Danny long-term as one of the channel’s main players, alongside favourites including Joel Dommett and Bradley Walsh.
The singer and guitarist, 38, had an emotional reunion with his wife Georgia and their six-year-old son Cooper as he crossed the famous bridge.
He is already a judge on The Voice UK, alongside his bandmate Tom Fletcher, but insiders said telly bosses are keen to sign him up for more shows.
A source said: “Danny is the embodiment of everything ITV loves. He’s fun, family-friendly and incredibly popular. Watching how popular he was on I’m A Celeb made him a key target for other shows they have coming up.
“Danny’s a brilliant musician, but he is also great on telly. ITV bosses want to see if they can sign him on for another series of The Voice UK and there are other shows they think he could be perfect on.”
Danny won over I’m A Celeb viewers early on as he opened up on his struggles with mental health.
During the first week, he broke down in tears as he revealed he started having therapy for anxiety aged 19 after suffering a panic attack during a live TV interview.
By Amir Razavi
I’M A Celeb finalists Coleen, Danny and Rev Richard tonight teamed up to win themselves a feast.
In their last trial, called the Tower of Terror, the trio lay down in individual boxes stacked on top of each other — before they were joined by enormous snakes.
They had ten minutes to win stars by dragging them through a maze and passing them down — with Coleen on top, Danny in the middle and Richard at the bottom.
At one point, Coleen said: “This is the first time I’ve had snakes and I can’t even look at them.”
After winning all the stars, the three each enjoyed a slap-up meal in camp.
Coleen ordered bruschetta, spag bol, profiteroles and a Provence rosé wine.
Danny tucked into breaded mozzarella sticks, a chicken burger, profiteroles and a Beavertown Neck Oil IPA.
Meanwhile, Richard had a king prawn cocktail, cottage pie, a fruitcake and a pricey Chablis Grand Cru wine.
It was in stark contrast to Friday, when Coleen and Richard downed gross drinks for the Dreaded Dregs trial, including blended cockroaches and pigs’ testicles.
He also spoke about his estrangement from his dad Alan, 72, who he has not seen for 18 years after he left his mum, Kathy.
Danny said: “He doesn’t speak to me. I just don’t think I’ve really . . . healed with it, maybe. I had a good relationship with my dad. He was my best mate until he left.”
All of this year’s I’m A Celebrity stars joined the finalists for a wrap party at the JW Marriott hotel on the Gold Coast.
It came a day after ex-Strictly Come Dancing pro Oti Mabuse was evicted from camp, leaving just three contestants to battle it out.
Only pop star Tulisa Contostavlos was absent, after flying home to the UK amid struggles with her mental health.
Yesterday, she shared photos online and said: “Sorry I can’t be there to celebrate with you all.”
i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year..
Coleen Rooney – Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney, has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever.
Tulisa – The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year’s I’m A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal.
Alan Halsall – The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities.
Melvin Odoom – The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet – the Aussie jungle.
GK Barry – The UK’s biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers.
Dean McCullough – A rising star amongst this year’s bunch of celebs, Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live.
Oti Mabuse – The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV’s Dancing On Ice.
Danny Jones – The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle, after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he’s now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice, along with bandmate Tom Fletcher.
Jane Moore – The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge – having recently split from her husband. It will be Jane’s first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past.
Barry McGuigan – Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer. He told The Late Late Show in 2021: “She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache.”
Maura Higgins – The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard. Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year.
Rev. Richard Coles – Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity, and he’s ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star, said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: “Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth.”
