This Morning’s Nick Ferrari has reportedly thrown ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! into disarray after pulling out of talks at the very last minute — following a dramatic intervention from his LBC bosses.
The veteran broadcaster, 66, was in advanced discussions with ITV producers before executives at Global, the parent company of LBC, stepped in and blocked his appearance. Sources claim the station matched any fee ITV was offering to keep their flagship morning host on UK airwaves.
Nick has presented Nick Ferrari at Breakfast since 2004 and is considered “a vital and well-loved part” of the LBC schedule. One insider told The Sun that radio bosses “pledged to match every penny” of ITV’s offer, explaining, “Global flexed its financial muscles to make sure he stayed put. Losing him for six weeks was simply not an option.”
Another insider added that Nick had “played a blinder” by securing a hefty pay rise in the process, with colleagues “quietly impressed by how he turned the jungle invite into a win-win deal.”
Meanwhile, the I’m A Celeb line-up continues to take shape despite the late drama. Model and presenter Kelly Brook was spotted at Heathrow Airport over the weekend, smiling broadly as she prepared to fly to Australia for the new series.
The 45-year-old, dressed in a brown tracksuit and £1,000 Chanel sandals, appeared in great spirits as she became the first confirmed celebrity to head to the jungle. Her luggage towered on a trolley as she made her way through the terminal, clutching a £6,000 designer handbag.
It’s a surprising move for Kelly, who once told listeners on her Heart radio show that there were “a million things” she’d rather do than I’m A Celeb. She laughed, saying she’d “never eat eyeballs or sheep testicles, not even for a tax bill.”
But producers have reportedly offered her a big-money deal. A source said: “Show bosses have been after Kelly for years. She’s glamorous, funny and guaranteed to make brilliant TV. They think she could be the sexiest contestant ever.”
Kelly joins a star-studded cast including Ruby Wax, soap legends Shona McGarty and Lisa Riley, musician and actor Martin Kemp, broadcasters Alex Scott and Vogue Williams, and Jack Osbourne — who is expected to open up about his late father Ozzy Osbourne’s passing earlier this year.
With Ferrari’s withdrawal causing chaos and Kelly’s glamorous arrival in Australia, this year’s jungle saga is already shaping up to be one of ITV’s most talked-about series yet.
