He was the first person in the 2021 series to leave the camp.
Now, Richard Madeley has spoken about his exit from I’m A Celebrity, saying that “dehydration” was to blame for his trip to the hospital.
Writing for The Telegraph on Saturday, the Good Morning Britain host explained that while he’d felt fine after competing in the Castle Kitchen Nightmares trial, he began developing worrying symptoms after going to bed.
“I reckon I must have been dehydrated that night (I’m forever not drinking enough water), because I got into my bunk and suddenly felt detached and discombobulated,” Richard Madeley said. “‘Funny turn’ really is about the only way of describing it.
“A nurse checked me over, but given my symptoms were so vague, it was recommended that I leave the camp and have some precautionary tests in hospital.”
While he was given the all-clear and felt better, a producer later confirmed that he was unable to return to the castle as he had broken the COVID bubble.
“It’s no exaggeration to say I felt completely gutted. It seemed ridiculous – I was loving my time in the camp – but I understood their reasoning,” he said. “I’m A Celebrity didn’t want to suffer the same plight as Strictly, on which contestants have repeatedly come down with the virus, meaning there had to be zero-tolerance on Covid risks.”
The presenter denied conspiracy theories that he had caught a bug from doing a trial or had suffered side effects from a Covid-19 vaccine but instead blamed himself for “foolishly” not remembering to stay hydrated.
Madeley went on to say that this year’s King or Queen of the Castle is “anybody’s game”, but added that he doesn’t think Naughty Boy will make it to the final due to being perceived as a “moaner” despite his own issues going on.
On Saturday, the I’m A Celebrity cast was removed from Gwrych Castle due to Storm Arwen worsening, with ITV cancelling this weekend’s episodes due to technical issues caused by the storm.
The show is expected to return on Monday, but RadioTimes.com shall keep you updated should there be any changes.
I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! 2021 is scheduled to return on Monday, November 29, 2021 at 9pm on ITV. Previous episodes are available now on ITV Hub.
Visit our Entertainment hub for more news and features, or find something to watch with our TV Guide.