Manchester United legend and ITV football pundit Roy Keane has delivered a typically forthright response to television presenters Ant and Dec regarding their attempts to recruit him for the popular reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
The Podcast Pitch
The exchange occurred during the latest episode of The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast, where Ant and Dec appeared as special guests alongside Keane and fellow football pundits Gary Neville, Jill Scott, Ian Wright, and Jamie Carragher. The presenting duo seized the opportunity to question Keane about potentially appearing on the ITV programme, for which he already works as part of their football coverage team.
'Dream On, Lads'
When Ant suggested to Keane that he would "realise it's actually a lot of fun" if he participated, the former Manchester United captain offered a characteristically blunt two-word response: "Dream on, lads, dream on." This set the tone for a humorous back-and-forth that revealed the presenters' determined efforts to secure Keane's participation.
Undeterred by the initial rejection, Dec jokingly proposed taking the matter directly to ITV executives. "Give us a bit of paper and a pen and you can write down a number," Dec suggested. "We'll take it to ITV. We'll put it under their noses. You don't have to mention it here."
Financial Speculation Dismissed
Keane responded with characteristic scepticism about the financial focus of such discussions. "Why do you think it's always about numbers? Everyone thinks it's about numbers," he remarked, deflecting assumptions that financial considerations would be his primary motivation.
Gary Neville then inquired whether Keane had previously been approached about appearing on the show, to which Keane confirmed: "A couple of times, yeah." This revelation suggested that the idea had been circulating for some time within television circles.
Behind-the-Scenes Agreement Revealed
The conversation took an amusing turn when Jill Scott revealed there had been discussions among the podcast hosts about using Ant and Dec's appearance as leverage. "We said that if we get Ant and Dec on, we'll send you to the jungle," Scott disclosed, prompting Keane to respond with mock surprise: "Who agreed that? Oh it was agreed behind the scenes."
Scott then pressed Keane further, asking if there was "even one per cent" of him that would consider participating in the popular television programme. "You would be so good," she encouraged.
Keane's Final Position
Keane remained characteristically non-committal in his final response. "I don't know," he answered. "I don't like looking too far forwards. It's too far away." This pragmatic approach reflected his well-known preference for focusing on immediate matters rather than speculative future engagements.
The exchange provided entertaining insight into the dynamic between the straight-talking football pundit and the persuasive television presenters, highlighting the ongoing efforts to recruit high-profile figures for reality television while showcasing Keane's trademark reluctance to commit to such ventures.
