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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Annie Williams

Emmerdale's Danny Miller says why he left his newborn son to join I'm A Celeb

Emmerdale actor Danny Miller has been crowned the king of the castle as I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! 2021 concludes.

Coronation Street legend Simon Gregson came in second place, while Saturdays singer and Loose Women's Frankie Bridge took third place.

In its 19th year on screen, I'm A Celebrity has had a very different series this year.

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From the get go, any hopes of a return to Australia were thrown out due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, meaning the show made a home for itself at Gwrych Castle for a second year.

The Great British weather forced the much loved programme off the air for four nights at the back end of last month as Storm Arwen battered the production base in Abergele, forcing the celebs to be evacuated from the castle.

The vote-offs started last Sunday with Arlene Phillips being the first out and, after football legend David Ginola's shock exit in fourth place on Saturday, only Danny Miller, Frankie Bridge and Simon Gregson were left.

In tonight's final episode, we saw the top three face an individual trial and, after a particularly horrific one, Frankie found herself in third place.

Then just over half an hour later, hosts Ant and Dec announced that it was Emmerdale star Danny who had triumphed in the last public vote of the series, taking the top spot from Simon Gregson - most known for his role as Corrie's Steve McDonald.

Speaking to hosts Ant and Dec in the castle studio ahead of the winner being announced, the Emmerdale star said he had decided to appear on the show three weeks after the birth of his first child, Albert, in order to secure his future financially.

He said: "I have made no secret about the fact that I wanted to be able to give him and set him up for a good future.

"I wasn't financially set for that and this is an opportunity to do that.

"It would set me and my family up. I feel like I have done it. I feel proud of myself and I hope my family are as well."

Speaking about his Emmerdale character Aaron Dingle, he said: "I have played him for such a long time. Everybody knows me as that character so it is my chance to have a bit of a laugh, meet loads of new people and just be a bit different and do something in the reality world.

"And I have loved every minute of it."

Though falling to second place, Simon told the presenting duo he had finished the series with greater self-confidence.

He said: "I knew before I came in that I needed to be in a certain state of mind not to be 'blah blah blah' and I think I achieved that."

After being declared the show's winner, Danny added "I never thought I'd be in this position, I barely thought I'd make it through the first two or three votes or so."

"I mean honestly, from the bottom of my heart and my family's heart - thank you so much, this is just the best thing that's ever happened to me, bar my son."

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