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Corrie star becomes third star to land in Australia ahead of I’m A Celebrity

Published 11:58 26 Oct 2022 BST

The launch of the show is sooner than you think

The third I’m A Celebrity star has been confirmed as Coronation Street icon Sue Cleaver. The actress was pictured touching down in Australia early on Wednesday morning, ahead of the launch of the new series. The 59-year-old was the third person to land in Australia and essentially confirm themselves to be appearing on the ITV show. She was seen emerging from Brisbane airport just hours after DJ Chris Moyles and Love Island contestant Olivia Attwood became the first two stars to land in Australia for the new series. [caption id="attachment_364812" align="alignnone" width="1386"]

(Picture: Getty Images)[/caption] The ITV soap fan favourite, who has played Eileen Grimshaw since 2000, was seen making a low key arrival and caught waiting photographers by surprise hiding her blonde hair under the feisty baseball cap. The start date of I’m A Celebrity has reportedly been revealed and it is sooner than you think. The new series, which will return to Australia for the first time since 2019, thanks to the pandemic, is said to be set to start on Sunday, November 6. That would mean the launch of the new series is just a fortnight away. The new series of the ITV show has been pushed forward due to the Qatar World Cup, which will start on November 20, The Sun reports. [caption id="attachment_85225" align="alignnone" width="563"]

(Picture: ITV)[/caption]

Olivia Attwood's appearance would make her the first Love Island contestant to walk into the jungle. If the 31-year-old does enter the jungle, it will make her the first ever ex-Love Islander to do so, as ITV bosses have steered clear of letting the dating show stars join the extreme reality series. Attwood was one of the biggest stars to emerge from Love Island, after pairing up with 29-year-old Chris Hughes in 2017. She then went on to feature in ITVBe’s Towie and carve out a career as an influencer. A TV source told The Sun: “This is a sign that the dating favourite is now so big and produces figures with such high profiles that they can no longer be dismissed. “Olivia is already viewed as a rising star on ITV and this is likely to serve as a launchpad for potentially fronting more mainstream shows with the broadcaster.” Attwood already has experience of bush tucker after taking part in I’m A Celeb’s spin-off show I’m A Celebrity: Extra Camp in Australia, as a special guest, in 2018. The experience saw her eat sheep brains

An ITV spokesperson told the outlet: "We’ll announce the start date for the new series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in due course."

Stars that are speculated to appear in the new series include Mike Tindall, Boy George, Lionesses star Jill Scott, Strictly star and comedian Seann Walsh, Celebrity Gogglebox’s Babatunde Aleshe, and broadcaster Charlene White.

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Sue Cleaver