Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
WhatToWatch
WhatToWatch
Entertainment
Lucy Buglass

Brendan O'Carroll doesn't hold back on why he turned down I'm a Celebrity

Mrs Brown's Boys cast

Mrs Brown's Boys star and creator Brendan O'Carroll won't be appearing on any reality programmes any time soon, and that also goes for ITV's I'm A Celebrity!

With I'm A Celebrity 2023 expected to land at the end of the year, everyone is desperate to find out which brave stars will be taking on the dreaded Bushtucker Trials this time around.

But one celebrity we can certainly rule out is Brendan O'Carroll, who has recently revealed he has no interest in taking part in the series, citing his age as one of the key reasons for turning down offers.

He told the Daily Star:  "I get asked to do those shows all the time… f*** yeah. Jesus. But I say no to them all.

"You get some really weird ones. Sometimes people pitch me a reality show and they haven’t even got a broadcaster yet. They think getting me on board will help them get it commissioned. But I have to disappoint them."

He added: "With some of the offers, I’ve said, ‘Are you f***ing serious?’ I was asked to do a show for Irish TV where I’d get SAS-style training. You crawl through mud and stuff like that.

"I said, ‘You do know I’m f***ing 67? The last time I crawled through mud I was five years old. So f*** off!’"

Ant and Dec will not be tormenting Brendan O'Carroll any time soon... (Image credit: ITV)

Speaking about I'm A Celebrity, Brendan revealed his frank response and explained people have stopped asking him after his initial rejection.

He said: “I was once talking to a producer and he asked me if I’d thought about doing I’m A Celebrity and I said, ‘I would rather put a hot needle through the eye of my c**k than do that show’. So now they know not to ask!"

There are plenty of rumoured names when it comes to this year's I'm A Celebrity line-up, and we won't have to wait much longer to find out who has been confirmed.

This year, EastEnders legend Danny Dyer, former Strictly Come Dancing pro Oti Mabuse and Dancing On Ice 2023 star The Vivienne are among those who might be entering the Australian jungle, but we'll have to be patient to find out for sure. 

I'm a Celebrity 2023 airs on ITV1 and ITVX later this year. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.