Gemma Collins in talks for I’m a Celebrity comeback – 11 years after iconic three day stint

Reality star exited the jungle early in 2014 after claiming ‘people who murder get treated better than this’

Gemma Collins is reportedly in talks to join the cast of I’m a Celebrity All-Stars despite leaving the jungle just three days into the original ITV competition in 2014.

The Only Way Is Essex star, 44, who is known for her diva persona, repeatedly broke down in tears and diagnosed herself with malaria while taking part in the series 11 years ago – for roughly 72 hours.

“People who murder get treated better than this. That’s the truth. Even a murderer gets fed three times a day,” Collins said ahead of quitting.

Yet, despite the reality star “hating” the I’m a Celebrity experience in 2014, ITV executives are hoping “the GC” will fly out to South Africa for the All-Stars edition of the show, per The Sun.

“She hated it [the] first time round but knows it would be TV gold for her fans if she gave it another go,” a source told the publication.

“The discussions could go either way but signing her would be a huge win for execs,” they added.

Collins has previously hinted she would return to the jungle, despite having a panic attack when being taken to the show’s helicopter in her last series’ opening scenes.

Gemma Collins is reportedly in talks to return to the ‘I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!’ jungle

“Everything would be different a second time,” she claimed to The Sun. “I’d be like Lara Croft and Angelina Jolie rolled into one, and I’d do the tasks. I’m not scared of nothing. Hopefully one day the producers may give me another chance.”

Collins shot to fame on The Only Way Is Essex in 2011 and went on to appear on a slew of reality shows including Celebs Go Dating in 2018 and Dancing on Ice in 2019.

The entrepreneur, who started a clothing boutique in Brentford that went bust in 2020, also starred in her own reality franchise, Gemma Collins: Diva, and had an eponymous podcast on BBC sounds.

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“Gemma Collins has always stood out from the TOWIE crowd, both in her role in the show and as a businesswoman,” freelance business coach Jenny Stallard told The Independent of Collins popularity after she was reported to have become a millionaire in 2022.

The TOWIE star lasted just three days in the jungle when she took part in the series in 2014

“I feel there is a lot we can learn from her,” she added. “She is, for me, a strong example of using the skills you do have, and the unique things about you, to build a business and a brand that grows despite external comment, or perhaps not fitting in with the ‘norm’.

“Business isn’t about fitting in – it’s about being unique. Her unapologetic ability to be ‘the GC’ has become a brand in itself. We find ourselves buying into the world of Gemma Collins, as much as any product she might endorse or sell.”

The forthcoming season of I’m a Celebrity All-Stars will be filmed this October, with episodes due to air in 2016.