Topics: Tony Bellew, Im a Celebrity, Soccer Aid
Tony Bellew once joked about becoming rivals with one of his campmates upon leaving I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.
Bellew and Sam Thompson forged a close bond while in the jungle together in the 2023 series of I’m a Celebrity, with the former WBC cruiserweight champion coming second to the Made in Chelsea alumni.
However, after their stint in the jungle the unlikely friends momentarily became rivals when the competed against one another in the 2025 edition of Soccer Aid at Old Trafford.
Ahead of representing the Rest of the World, Bellew told Good Morning Britain: “Me and Sam are now going to become rivals.
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“I gave him a call and said ‘I think I’m going to do Soccer Aid’ and he said ‘I’m going to love spending time with you, we’re going to train together and I’m going to get to shoot balls past you’.
“Well, no, you’re not mate because I am on the other team.
“And I didn’t have a clue what team I was going to be on or what was going to happen, but now you know.
“So we are now rivals and no longer friends. We are frenemies.”
Unfortunately for Bellew, he wasn’t given much of an opportunity to target his former campmate. The former boxer was forced off injured just five minutes into proceedings.
It was revealed before kick off by manager Harry Redknapp that Bellew had torn his groin in training.
He said: “Tony Bellew, ex-world champion, he’s just decided to boot a ball without even warming up and just tore his groin.
“He’s so tough he’ll probably play on with it.”
Thompson, meanwhile, was also forced to pull out of Soccer Aid after suffering a torn calf injury while running and cycling from London to Manchester over five days in support of humanitarian aid organisation Unicef.
The former Made in Chelsea star, who raised over £1.5million for Unicef, said: "I'm still very sore, still got the torn calf, however I am here at Soccer Aid HQ and it does not get better than this.
"We've still got the management team of England, we've got Vicky McClure, Tyson Fury, who's stepping into some new shoes and Harry Redknapp.
"But also because I'm not going to be able to run around, you've also got me, part of the management team. Come on baby!"
