SH0CKING B0MBSHELL: I’m A Celebrity ‘in advanced talks’ for Ade Adepitan to enter jungle in historic signing
Paralympian Ade Adepitan could be about to make history as he’s reportedly in advanced talks to become the first wheelchair user to sign up for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!
The Paralympian, 53, could be the first star in a wheelchair to enter the jungle. The TV presenter is said to be heading into the jungle, with show bosses working to ensure the camp is adapted to accommodate him.
Ade contracted polio as a child which caused damage to his legs, meaning he had to use a wheelchair. As well as playing wheelchair basketball at the 2004 Summer Paralympics, he started appearing on TV before turning to presenting. “Ade has been in talks with I’m A Celebrity, who are really keen to make it work. Producers are currently looking at ways to adapt the camp to make it work for Ade,” a source told The Sun.
“They think his infectious larger-than-life personality would make him a perfect campmate for the new series.”
Ade has been open about his own health, pledging his support to a NHS polio booster vaccination drive in London. He himself contracted polio when he was just 15 months old, resulting in him permanently losing the use of both legs.
Urging parents to make sure they vaccinate their children, Ade said: “Polio can have devastating consequences, which I know all too well. As a small child I contracted polio, I quickly became very unwell, and as a result of the disease taking over my nervous system, I permanently lost the use of my legs.
“It was life-changing.But polio can be completely prevented through vaccination, which is why it is so important that parents book in to get their children a booster jab at their GP or nearest vaccination site as soon as possible.
“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your children against the disease. To put it simply, if I had been vaccinated when I was exposed to polio, I would not be in a wheelchair now.”
On television, Ade appeared on Beyond Boundaries, which also launched the career of former Loose Women star Sophie Morgan, in 2005, and had a minor role in EastEnders in the years beforehand.
Since breaking through to the mainstream, Ade has presented coverage for The Invictus Games and acted as a guest host on the BBC teatime programme The One Show. Amongst numerous other television projects, Ade has also taken part in Children In Need and, in 2023, he fronted the documentary Whites Only: Ade’s Extremist Adventure for Channel 4.
Away from the world of sports and showbiz, Ade has been married to to singer/songwriter Linda Harrison, who is better known under the stage name Elle Exxe and they are parents to Bolla, five, and 16-month-old Zella together.
Speaking to The Times he said: “I first met Linda at the National TV Awards at the O2. I spotted her in the corner of the room — she had this amazing smile and a beautiful aura, so I made a beeline.
“I tried to make her laugh, but I wasn’t sure if she was interested in me or not. We kept in touch and a month later met up for dinner in Guildford, where she was at college. He was 45 minutes late, but luckily she waited for him and he was taken aback at how “cute and cool” she was.
