Sam Thompson has been ruled out of playing in the Soccer Aid charity football match at the last minute on medical grounds.
The I’m A Celebrity! winner broke the news while chatting to This Morning hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary on Friday.
Hammond asked if Thompson had “recovered” after suffering a string of injuries, including a calf injury, following his 260-mile Soccer Aid challenge earlier this month.
Thompson replied: “I'm still very sore, still got the torn calf, however I am here at Soccer Aid HQ and it does not get better than this.
“We've still got the management team of England, we've got Vicky McClure, Tyson Fury, who's stepping into some new shoes and Harry Redknapp...
“But also because I'm not going to be able to run around, you've also got me, part of the management team. Come on baby!”
O’Leary clarified: “So you can't play this year obviously because you're literally falling apart. So is that right? you're not going to play but you're part of the management team?”
Thompson explained that he’ll be helping out as a coach from the sidelines instead.
“Yeah I came here with high hopes and went to see Gary the physio and I can kick a ball from a standing start, but when it comes to like general chaos of playing competitive sport there's just no way,” he said.
“I cant really run properly so yeah. They were very kind and said we still want you to be a part, so I get to go on the dark side with Tyson Fury.”
Former Made In Chelsea star Thompson came face-to-face with his ex-girlfriend Zara McDermott’s new man Louis Tomlinson during training on Thursday for the match.
The reality star, 32, and former One Direction singer, 33 - who are on the same England team for Unicef - were seen avoiding eye contact while playing on the pitch with a series of other famous faces.
And just hours after their meeting, Thompson has revealed he will not be taking part in Sunday’s match.
Tomlinson, 33, is currently dating McDermott, 28, whom Thompson split from in December after five years together.
Thompson was said to have been left ‘blindsided’ when McDermott moved on quickly and went public with her relationship with Tomlinson in March.
Thompson insisted there are "no hard feelings" and is said to have moved on with former Love Island star Samie Elishi, 25, who finished third on the 2023 series, five years after McDermott appeared, and briefly returned for this year's All Stars season.
