Wayne Rooney must follow strict I'm A Celebrity rule for seven days after landing in Australia
Wayne Rooney will now have to follow a strict I'm A Celebrity rule until the ITV show gets underway on November 16 following his arrival in Australia.
The Manchester United and England legend will enter the Australian jungle alongside 11 other celebrities, including comedian Leigh Francis, actress Joanna Page and model Leomie Anderson.
According to reports, Rooney will earn a high six-figure fee for his time on the show, making him the highest-paid contestant on the 2026 series - though he will earn less than wife Coleen did when she entered the jungle in 2024. Now he has touched down in Australia, he will be limited in what he can do for the next week.
READ MORE: Wayne Rooney set to earn 47% less than wife Coleen as full I'm A Celebrity 2026 pay revealed
The I'm A Celebrity rule Wayne Rooney will have to follow
It was reported at the beginning of November that Rooney would be part of the I'm A Celebrity cast for 2026, though he kept busy in the days leading up to his flight to Australia.
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He was a pundit for Amazon Prime's coverage of the Champions League clash between Manchester United and Roma last Tuesday, and received the Pundit of the Year award at the Broadcast Sport Awards on Friday.
It is a good thing that Rooney crammed in as much as he could before jetting halfway across the world - as he will be considerably less busy for the next seven days.
Former I'm A Celebrity contestant Jake Quickenden, who entered the jungle in 2014, told Metro ahead of the 2022 series that campmates are not meant to venture too far away from their hotels in the lead-up to the series.
"They don't lock you in your room. It's not like you're in lockdown," he stressed. "You're allowed to go outside and get some fresh air and stuff like that.
"But you can't be wandering around the streets, because one, you could get spotted, and two, all the other contestants are in hotels nearby."
Part of the reason behind the second part of that requirement is that for each celebrity, the identity of their campmates are meant to be a genuine surprise. But in the days of ever increasing social media usage - and the fact that the leaked line-up emerged online last week - will make it likely that at least a few of the celebrities have some idea of who will be stepping into the jungle with them.
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Who else is in the reported I'm A Celebrity 2026 line-up?
Unlike last year, when former Arsenal and England defender Alex Scott was the only sport-related entry ino the jungle, Rooney will be joined by another sportsperson in former Paralympic wheelchair basketball medalist turned TV presenter Ade Adepitan. It is said that ITV bosses have been exploring ways to adapt the camp for the 53-year-old, who contracted polio as a child which caused paralysis to his left leg and partial use of his right leg.
Rooney will also be joined by another celebrity from Merseyside, with Liverpool-born actress Claire Sweeney set to join the camp. She will be joined by Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page.
There are also a number of social media personalities entering the jungle, with Sharky, Chloe Burrows and Jack Skipper all part of the reported line-up. The cast is subject to change, with previous examples of campmates having pulled out before the show gets underway.
Here is the full reported I'm A Celebrity 2026 line-up:
Ade Adepitan - TV presenter and former wheelchair basketball player
Leomie Anderson - Model and TV presenter
Chloe Burrows - TV personality
Leigh Francis - Comedian and TV presenter
Mariella Frostrop - Journalist and TV presenter
AJ Odudu - TV presenter
Joanna Page - Actress and TV panelist
Wayne Rooney - TV pundit and former footballer
Sharky - Social media personality and member of 'Beta Squad'
Jack Skipper - Comedian
Claire Sweeney - Actress and singer
Ricky Wilson - Singer and Kaiser Chiefs frontman
Topics: Wayne Rooney, Im a Celebrity
Ryan Smart
