With the 11th season underway and only a handful of contestants left, many viewers are speculating who will win I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2025. Of the 10 seasons that have aired so far, exactly half have been won by women – surely something to celebrate as the conversation around women’s representation on TV continues.
Now, with the surprising double elimination of Love Island’s Tina Provis and actor Sigrid Thornton last night, some fans have expressed their disappointment that yet another two women have been eliminated from the jungle. This leaves only ex Big Brother winner Regina Bird and comedian Geraldine Hickey alongside six male-costars.
“What is with all the girls being booted,” one person wrote on X, while another penned, “Omg there’s only 2 women left wtf #ImACelebrityAU”. A third viewer said, “I’m so happy that Gez is safe but STOP VOTING OUT THE WOMEN #ImACelebrityAU”.
With eight celebrities left in the competition, it’s hard to say whether another star will be added to the lineup so late in the game. One famous face who had been highly speculated to enter the jungle was MasterChef Australia: Dessert Masters judge, Melissa Leong.
In November last year, an alleged source told Yahoo Lifestyle that producers may have had the TV personality in mind, as they could “play into Melissa’s fearless nature and unpredictable career choices”.
“The money is often quite good and if Melissa could bag a quarter of a million dollars for the proposed 21 days, that isn’t something anyone should easily turn down. They will need to frame this offer with a very clever pitch.”
However Leong confirmed to fans last month that she wasn’t appearing on I’m A Celeb. Sharing a selfie on her Instagram story that featured green leaves, she posted the results of a poll that asked, “Do we still think she’s going into the jungle tonight?”
Next to the results box was an arrow to the majority 55% voting no, and the words “good work”, signalling that’s the right answer – she won’t be going onto the show.
“Oh you guys! Go watch the show, it’s going to be an amazing season,” she wrote.
While she’s arguably most well known for being the first female – and woman of colour – judge on MasterChef Australia, Leong has since ventured into new territory, appearing on SBS documentary series, The Hospital: In The Deep End last year, hosting UFC Fight Week on Kayo Sports and Foxtel, and appearing on long-running children’s show, Play School.
“I really don’t enjoy being pigeonholed,” Leong told Missing Perspectives in October 2024. “The fact that I get to [be part of] Play School and UFC and Dessert Masters and do a documentary about public health, I mean, I want people to think, ‘Well, if she can do that, what else can she do?’”
Meanwhile, it seems Reggie and Geraldine are flying the flag for women in the South African jungle, and only time will tell if either of them will win this season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. If one of them do, they’ll be following in the footsteps of previous female winners, Big Brother’s Skye Wheatley (2024), netballer Liz Ellis (2023), Bachelor star-turned-podcast host Abbie Chatfield (2021), comedian Fiona O’Loughlin (2018), Australian Idol’s Casey Donovan (2017). Here’s hoping!
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! airs on Sunday at 7pm and Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10 Play.