I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!: Barry McGuigan and Dean McCullough revealed as contestants

This year’s lineup for the reality show will see the pair join Coleen Rooney, Tulisa and Danny Jones in the jungle

Barry McGuigan, ready for the jungle. Photograph: ITV/Yoshitaka Kono/PA Wire
Barry McGuigan, ready for the jungle. Photograph: ITV/Yoshitaka Kono/PA Wire

Two Irish contestants are set to enter the jungle as I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! returns to our screens this Sunday.

Announced on Monday night, the star-studded line-up includes former Irish boxing champion Barry McGuigan – nicknamed the Clones Cyclone – and Antrim-born BBC Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough.

With one eye on getting to the “later stages” of the show, Monaghan native McGuigan says tackling the psychological aspect of I’m A Celebrity appealed to him. “It can be physically arduous, but it’s the psychological part of it that I want to conquer before I get too old.”

“I’m 63 now. I’d like to think I’m a young 63, but that doesn’t mean it’ll make any of these challenges easy,” he adds.

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A brush with Barry McGuigan's nipple and a Border checkpointOpens in new window ]

Not a fan of the critters, McCullough anticipates the infamous Bushtucker Trials will prove challenging. “I made the mistake of watching episode one from last year and I nearly passed out watching it. I had to turn it off. And I hate cockroaches.”

“I’m terrified of everything,” he admits.

Dean McCullough. Photograph: ITV/Yoshitaka Kono/PA Wire
Dean McCullough. Photograph: ITV/Yoshitaka Kono/PA Wire

The pair join a list of others in the public eye, including of Coleen Rooney, McFly’s Danny Jones, singer Tulisa, Jane Moore of Loose Women and Alan Halsall, best known for his role as Tyrone Dobbs in Coronation Street.

Dancing on Ice judge Oti Mabuse, internet personality GK Barry and British radio DJ and television presenter Melvin Odoom complete the line-up.

Comedy duo Ant and Dec will be back to present the show as the new cast prepares to battle it out, enduring a series of gruelling challenges for our entertainment over the coming weeks to see who has what it takes to me crowned this year’s king or queen of the jungle.

I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! starts at 9pm on Sunday, 17th November on Virgin Media One and Virgin Media Play.

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