I’m A Celeb: Richard Madeley’s journey may not be over after all

We’re less than a week in to I’m A Celeb 2021 but we’re already one campmate down. Richard Madeley was rushed out of the camp to hospital after falling ill on Thursday. Although he is now said to have made a full recovery, he has been unable to return to the camp as his hospital visit meant breaking the Covid bubble. All campmates had to self-isolate ahead of entering Gwrych Castle to avoid any risk of a Covid outbreak.

But does this really mean Richard Madeley’s long-awaited I’m A Celeb journey is over? It sounds like there’s still a chance we could see him back in the castle.

Could Richard Madeley return to I’m A Celeb?

A source who spoke to The Sun said:

Richard was the star signing. ITV has wanted him on the show for years and everyone was expecting TV gold. They can’t afford to lose any other big names. They are deciding whether the door remains open to him in future, or if his I’m A Celebrity experience is over for good.

It seems unlikely that Richard would go through another self-isolation period to re-enter camp when the show is more than halfway through, but we guess it’s possible. Otherwise, producers might be thinking up some other kind of role that he can perform in a socially-distanced way. Or there’s a chance he could return for a future series.

Richard Madeley’s I’m A Celeb pay

Meanwhile, in an Instagram post, Richard’s daughter Chloe Madeley said that her dad was ‘livid’ he couldn’t return to camp due to Covid restrictions. Whether Richard does return to camp or not, he’s still in line to receive a whopping £200,000 fee—not bad for less than a week’s work.