Why Ally McCoist won't appear on this year's I'm a Celebrity as boxing legend replaces football pundit
Football legend Ally McCoist will not be appearing on I'm A Celebrity in 2024 after the full line-up for the ITV show was published.
The Sun revealed the 12 celebrities that will be stepping foot in the Australian jungle starting on November 17, and the name of McCoist was surprisingly not among them.
The Rangers icon had been tipped to sign up for the show for the first time, having previously rejected attempts from ITV bosses to bring him on board.
It had been claimed that he was in 'advanced talks' and, in an interview with talkSPORT after the reports emerged earlier this month, McCoist was non-committal on whether he would go into the jungle or not.
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But the Scot will not be involved in 2024, with sport's only representative on the hit show being boxing promoter Barry McGuigan.
According to The Sun, McCoist did hold talks with ITV bosses but decided to pull out before those negotiations reached their final stages.
It had previously been reported that the TNT Sports pundit's family had been pushing him to accept an offer to go into the jungle.
And it has now been claimed that ITV bosses moved quickly to snap up McGuigan once it became clear that McCoist would not be taking part.
The Irishman is set to join a cast which includes singer Tulisa, former Love Island star Maura Higgins and Coleen Rooney.
Coronation Street star Alan Halsall - who plays Tyrone Dobbs - will also take part after being forced to pull out before last year's show started, as well as McFly band member Danny Jones.
The full list of contestants - yet to be officially announced by ITV - are as follows:
- Danny Jones, 38, McFly lead guitarist
- Oti Mabuse, 34, Strictly Come Dancing judge
- Tulisa, 36, singer/songwriter and former member of N-Dubz
- Barry McGuigan, 63, boxing promoter
- Dean McCullough, 32, BBC radio presenter
- Jane Moore, 62, Loose Women panelist
- Alan Halsall, 42, Coronation Street actor
- Melvin Odoom, 44, DJ and television presenter
- Maura Higgins, 31, former Love Island star and television presenter
- Rev Richard Coles, 62, television presenter, writer and Church of England priest
- Coleen Rooney, 38, television personality and wife of Wayne Rooney
- GK Barry, 25, social media personality and presenter
Ryan Smart