Labour's Angela Rayner was extraordinarily close to swapping Westminster for the Australian jungle in what would have been one of the most dramatic political career shifts in recent memory.
From Cabinet to Campfire: The Almost Deal
According to revelations from Richard Osman and Marina Hyde on their podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, the former deputy prime minister engaged in advanced talks with ITV bosses about joining this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! lineup. The broadcasting giant reportedly 'felt it was going to happen' before the deal ultimately collapsed.
Insiders disclosed that Ms Rayner received a stark warning that participating in the reality show would permanently end her prospects of returning to frontline politics. This warning proved decisive in her decision to abandon the jungle opportunity.
Political Fallout and Leadership Ambitions
The near-miss with reality television comes amid growing speculation about Ms Rayner's political future. Sources told The Telegraph that she's mounting a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer, with claims she's already offering Cabinet roles to MPs in exchange for support.
However, a source close to Ms Rayner dismissed these claims as 'total rubbish', insisting she remains focused on representing her local community. In her first major interview since the speculation began, Ms Rayner condemned what she called 'arrogant tittle-tattle' and Labour infighting.
The political drama follows Ms Rayner's resignation from Cabinet roles in September after failing to pay £40,000 of stamp duty on a flat purchase in Hove, East Sussex. The Prime Minister's ethics adviser ruled she breached the ministerial code by not obtaining proper tax advice despite warnings about her complex finances.
ITV's Political Dilemma
The revelation about Ms Rayner's near-jungle stint highlights ITV's complicated relationship with political figures on their flagship reality show. Hosts Ant and Dec have previously expressed their desire not to feature more politicians following Nigel Farage's £1.5 million appearance in 2023, where the Reform leader finished third.
Previous political participants include Nadine Dorries (2012), Edwina Currie (2014), Stanley Johnson (2017) and Matt Hancock (2022). According to the podcast hosts, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey was offered to ITV bosses but rejected - yet when Ms Rayner emerged as a potential candidate, they found her impossible to refuse.
Marina Hyde remarked on the potential chaos: 'If you thought last week was chaotic for Labour, try and imagine this week if Angela Rayner was now basically running a proxy leadership campaign by the meme of eating kangaroo testicles on ITV prime time.'
The presenters suggested that the opportunity was only abandoned when it became clear that participating would permanently block Ms Rayner's return to frontline politics. Hyde noted: 'I think what happened is obviously she does wish to return to frontline politics. It was made clear that were she to do something like this, there wouldn't be a way back.'
As Westminster continues to buzz with leadership speculation, Ms Rayner has declined to rule out running for the top job or returning to frontline politics, simply stating she has 'not gone away' - though her path appears to lead through Parliament rather than the jungle.
