In a television moment sixteen years in the making, presenting duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have come face-to-face with Kelly Brook on I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, seemingly putting their long-standing feud to rest.
The Jungle Reunion
The highly anticipated encounter occurred during the 2025 launch of the hit ITV reality show. Kelly Brook, the 45-year-old model and presenter, entered the jungle alongside an eclectic lineup of campmates including Ruby Wax, Martin Kemp, rapper Aitch, and Lisa Riley.
Her initiation was nothing short of dramatic, beginning with a skydive before she battled through offal and slime in a challenge to win a seat in a getaway car. Unfortunately, Kelly was unsuccessful in her task, meaning she, Martin Kemp, and EastEnders actress Shona McGarty were forced to travel to camp via the dreaded Cockie Van, driven by the show's recurring character, Kiosk Kev.
It was before this unglamorous journey that the historic meeting took place. Despite sources previously suggesting the hosts were keen to address the 'elephant in the room', the interaction was surprisingly warm. As a horrified Kelly squealed, 'I don't wanna get in a cock van!', Ant and Dec were quick to offer reassurance, gently correcting her with, 'It's a Cockie van, Cockie van.'
The Roots of the Rift
The origins of this frosty history date back to 2009. Kelly Brook was brought on to the Britain's Got Talent panel as its first-ever fourth judge, joining Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan, and Amanda Holden. However, her tenure was short-lived.
While Simon Cowell initially stated the four-judge format simply wasn't working, Kelly later revealed a different story. She claimed that ITV executives informed her that Ant and Dec were upset by her presence on their show.
'The people at ITV were telling me that I had upset Ant and Dec, and that was it,' Kelly was reported as saying at the time. 'I would love to have stayed on the show... Ant and Dec had never been anything but pleasant to my face, but clearly, they didn't want me on the show.'
It was alleged that she felt the hosts were 'sneering' at her for her background as a Page 3 model, believing she 'didn't have any talent'.
Ant and Dec's Side of the Story
In their 2009 memoir, Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story, the Geordie presenters gave their account of the tension. Dec recalled an awkward exchange before filming, where he tried to calm a nervous Kelly. He wrote that she responded by asking him, 'And what do you do on the show?'
Simon Cowell, sitting nearby, reportedly interjected, 'Kelly, you have seen the show, haven't you?' to which she allegedly replied, 'Yeah… well, bits'.
The duo also expressed that 'no one could give [them] a good reason why Kelly was on board' and that they 'didn't agree' personally with Simon Cowell's decision to hire her. This marked the last time they worked together professionally until her jungle entrance on November 16, 2025.
With Kelly reportedly 'gearing up to make great television' and known for not forgetting those who have 'wronged her', viewers are now left to wonder if this initial wholesome reunion is the end of the story, or if old wounds will be reopened for the nation to see. I'm A Celebrity continues nightly at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
