With the evenings getting dark and cold, the warm glow of our TVs and the inviting comfort of our blankets are looking ever more enticing. And just in time for the new series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, starting Sunday 16 November!
Joining an exciting line-up including Heart Radio DJ Kelly Brook, 45, TV personality Jack Osbourne, 39, and presenter and former footballer Alex Scott, 41, will be 64-year-old Spandau Ballet star and DJ Martin Kemp.
As well as being a global music icon, one of Martin’s strengths is his openness about his health. He has previously spoken about having two brain tumours diagnosed and undergoing surgery and radiotherapy to remove them. He has also shared that he lives with epilepsy, which he controls with medication and also dyslexia, affecting his reading.
Martin appeared on Morning Live with Epilepsy Action story champion Murray Goulder, both speaking about their own experiences with epilepsy and discussing ground-breaking new technology.
Now, heading into the famous Australian jungle, Martin said he is looking forward to the adventure, and getting away from the daily routine. He said: “When you do spend time on your own, you do learn things about yourself no matter how old you are. That will be really interesting.”
Between being showered in bugs, crawling through offal and eating and drinking unspeakable things, the show has also become known for its disarming atmosphere during camp life, where celebrities often open up, share struggles and tell stories about their lives.
This has meant health conditions have received invaluable awareness and representation in front of the around 9 million viewers watching the show each year as celebrities have shared candidly about the challenges they have lived with.
We share our top moments (and a handful of honourable mentions) where celebrities have shone a light on a condition, showing bravery, resilience and vulnerability.
Anne Hegarty
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The Governess, known for her exceptional quiz knowledge as one of the Chasers on ITV’s The Chase took part in the show in 2018.
Speaking to her campmates she shared how she got diagnosed with Aspergers, a form of autism, in 2003 at the age of 45.
She spoke about learning as a teenager to pick up on social cues as well as mentioning her hoarding tendencies and getting “overwhelmed with all the things there are to do”. While she said she doesn’t make a point of bringing it up to people, she said she is “happy to talk about it”.
Rita Simons
Eastenders star Rita, who plays Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap, and campmate of Anne’s during the 2018 series, opened up about her obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) while speaking to Anne about her autism.
Rita explained that she’s been diagnosed with OCD but is a lot better now. When asked about living in camp, she said her condition wasn’t affected by things like cleanliness. She said: “I used to be a real light switcher and tap checker – I spent hours doing it.
“It’s probably the complete opposite to you,” she told Anne, “because [your condition] is all logical and mine is all illogical.”
Danny Jones
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McFly superstar and winner of The Masked Singer behind the Piranha costume, Danny walked away from the 2024 series of the show as the Jungle King.
While in camp, he won the hearts of the audience with his warmth, smiley demeanour and vulnerability.
Sat in camp, he told his campmates that he’d been in therapy for his anxiety since he was 19 years old. He said he experienced panic attacks – one live on TV, and others affecting his work – before breaking down in tears.
His openness prompted former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Oti Mabuse to share that she had lost her brother to suicide, and praise Danny for speaking out, sharing, and seeking help.
Hollie Arnold MBE
Paralympic javelin gold medallist Hollie appeared in the show in 2020, during its first held at Wales’ Gwrych Castle in Abergele because of restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic. Born without her right forearm, Hollie showed determination and resilience during the show.
In her interview in the first episode, Hollie said: “I’ve had struggles and ups and downs within my life, but nothing has ever affected me. I’ve always gone out there and given 100% of everything. Nothing’s ever stopped me.”
She added: “I just accept myself as who I am.”
Kadeena Cox MBE
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Paralympic athlete, gold medallist and television presenter, Kadeena starred in the 2021 series of the show, also held at Gwrych Castle. She spoke out about having a stroke at the age of 23 and living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
In a conversation about how the campmates got into their careers, Kadeena said: “I was a runner from a young age and then in 2014, when I had my stroke and then was diagnosed with the MS, I couldn’t run. I kept falling over, my balance was so bad.”
She shared that that’s how she ended up getting into para-cycling. She added: “I always talk about my condition just to allow people to get an understanding because it’s not very well known.”
Honourable mentions
The Vamps guitarist, James McVey, shared in interviews before and after being on I’m A Celebrity in 2018 about living with an eating disorder. He said being in the show made him reevaluate his relationship with food.
Meanwhile, the 2024 alums of the show helped to put a number of conditions on the map, having spoken about them before and after the show, and having them discussed in the media while they were in camp.
Social media star GK Barry had spoken about her anxiety and emetophobia (fear of being sick), footballer’s wife Coleen Rooney helped shed light on reactive arthritis, affecting joints in the body during flare ups, and singer Tulisa Contostavlos helped raise awareness of Bell’s palsy, a condition where people experience a temporary weakness or paralysis in the muscles of one side of the face.
Whether Martin opens up about his health or not, his presence on the show is a big win in the battle for more representation of people with epilepsy and more awareness of the condition.
If you want to see more epilepsy representation on TV, fill out our soap survey, Rewrite the Script, and let us know your thoughts and views.
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