I'm A Celeb Star Was Forced To Quit Show After 'Serious Error' With Boxing Match

An I'm A Celebrity contestant was forced to withdraw from the Australian jungle after just three days in camp - marking one of the shortest stints in the show's history.

Former Love Island star turned TV presenter Olivia Attwood holds the record for the shortest time in camp, withdrawing after 24 hours of the 2022 edition after medical checks showed she was at risk of developing anemia, a type of iron deficiency.

The Only Way is Essex star Gemma Collins, meanwhile, decided to quit the show after three days in 2014 'after struggling with jungle life'.

A year later, reality TV personality Spencer Matthews left the jungle after three days, with personal issues cited.

I'm A Celebrity bosses found that he had been taking anabolic steroid pills while in camp, ahead of a planned charity boxing match.

He was then asked to leave the camp permanently, with Matthews revealing in a statement that he only told producers about his steroid use after he had arrived in Australia.

In terms of contestants in main camp, Matthews does hold the record for shortest stint - as he was a late arrival, and never actually entered main camp.

Matthews pictured during his short time in the Australian jungle (Image: ITV)

The Made in Chelsea star said in a statement: "Shortly after I arrived in Australia I told the production team that I was taking a steroid-based medication that had begun some weeks ago.

"When I started taking this programme of pills it was in preparation for a charity boxing match which, ironically, never took place.

"Vanity, I suppose, had been the reason for wanting to bulk up a bit for the fight. I had intended to come off the pills gradually, but there was no time to do this before I reached the jungle.

"I pushed back but ultimately the show's duty of care prevailed and bags had to be packed."

Matthews added that it had been a 'serious error of judgment'.

Matthews' stint in camp lasted just three days (Image: ITV)

Nine years later in 2024, Matthews claimed to the Daily Mail that bosses knew of his steroid usage before he began his stint on the show.

He was taking a type of anabolic steroid known as Anvar, which is a class C drug and can cause hair loss, fertility issues and stomach pain, as well as - more pertinently to the jungle - extreme tiredness, difficulty concentrating and insomnia.

Matthews entered the camp with fellow reality stars Vicky Pattison and Ferne McCann, who finished first and third respectively.

He was not the only star to pull out of that year's show, as former royal biographer Lady Colin Campbell - regarded as one of the most entertaining campmates in I'm A Celebrity history - withdrew due to medical reasons after 16 days in camp.