Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I’m fit as a fiddle I just had a funny little turn...
‘Gutted’ Richard out of I’m A Celeb castle
RICHARD Madeley revealed he felt “fit as a fiddle” yesterday – and that Covid rules were the only thing stopping his return to the I’m A Celebrity camp.
The 65-year-old Good Morning Britain host explained his shock exit from the ITV show, saying: “I just had a funny little turn.
“ITV are so good with duty of care and were adamant they had to make sure I was OK. I was given really thorough checks and had a completely clean bill of health.
“No matter what you might have read, I’m absolutely fine. It’s a Covid situation – if it wasn’t for that I’d be back there eating rice and beans.”
Madeley was rushed to hospital from Gwrych Castle early on Thursday, hours after he was seen doing a Castle Kitchen Nightmares bushtucker trial.
Going to hospital meant that he broke ITV’S Covid bubble policy so he needed to leave the camp, disappointing fans of the show.
He added: “I woke feeling disconnected and confused. I was carted off to the local hospital for tests which were impressively thorough, even though by the time I arrived I was feeling fine again.
But even though doctors gave me a 100% clean bill of health, my time in the castle was over. Once out of the bubble, you can’t go back just in case you bring the bug in with you. If the other campmates got infected, it would be curtains for the show. “So here I am, back at home, and wondering what might have been. Could I have won it? Might I have been crowned king of the castle? Thanks to Covid, I’ll never know. “But I’ve made lifelong friends and though I’m incredibly happy to be back with Judy and our kids, part of me wishes I were sitting with my newest, bestest friends up in that crumbling, cold old castle, beans, rice, cockroaches and all.”
Madeley – who admitted buying a large cup of tea and bacon sandwich after being discharged from the hospital – said he had wanted to be voted in to do another bushtucker trial to prove he could do it, adding: “I would have longed to have gone back and done it again.
“I don’t have a phobia of cockroaches and spiders, and snakes and rats. When you’re going for stars for meals for starving mates, that’s all you think about.”
His task involved sliding head first into a sewer of rotting fruit
Could I have won? I’m at home wondering what might have been.
and vegetables while fish guts and offal was dumped on him as he searched for 10 stars.
In a video played to campmates he said: “I had to come out into the Covid world and I can’t risk bringing the bug back in with me and ruining the experience for you guys, the programme and the viewers. So that’s it, my adventure is over.
“I’ll be watching over the next few weeks and I wish you all the love and luck in the world, I can’t wait to see who wins. I just want to say how much I love you and how much I’m grateful to you for everything you’ve said and done for me. I’m going to set up that Whatsapp group we spoke about when you come out.
“We can all talk to each other again and meet up.”
Singer Frankie Bridge replied tearfully: “Of course he did the perfect video.” Broadcaster Louise Minchin told the Bush Telegraph: “We saw Richard back to his cheery, brilliant, funny self.”
Madeley added: “If it wasn’t for Covid, I’d still be in the game. I’m gutted. I’m gutted, I really am.”
It is understood he will not be replaced by another celebrity. natasha.wynarczyk@mirror.co.uk
@tash_wynarczyk
RICHARD MADELEY