I’m a Celebrity 2026 Salaries: Our Best Estimates for All 12 Rumoured Stars
A new look at the likely appearance fees for the rumoured 2026 cast, using reported payments from previous series and each star’s profile. The figures below are predictions, not disclosed contracts.
How much could I’m a Celebrity 2026 contestants be paid?
We estimate the 12 rumoured campmates could earn roughly £70,000 to £750,000 each for appearing in the jungle, with a combined fee bill of around £2.18 million if this is the eventual cast. ITV has not released a 2026 fee list, and its line-up remains unofficial. The individual numbers below are our informed guesses, not reported payments.
The Sun reports that Rooney has the largest deal and describes a sizeable six-figure payment, but gives no exact figure. Our indicative range is £650,000–£950,000.
How much might Wayne Rooney get for the jungle?
Our prediction is £750,000, with a broad possible range of £650,000–£950,000. The Sun’s 3 November report named Rooney as the highest-paid rumoured campmate, but cited only a substantial six-figure deal. The precise contract figure has not been reported.
£750,000
A speculative midpoint, not an ITV figure or a newspaper-reported exact salary.
The new series starts Monday 16 November at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
Coleen Rooney’s 2024 fee was widely reported at £1.5 million. It shows what exceptional bookings can cost, but it is not evidence that Wayne negotiated anything similar.
I’m a Celebrity 2026: our fee estimates for every rumoured contestant
Our predicted appearance fees are ranked from highest to lowest. We anchored them to the reported 2025 range of around £75,000–£250,000, made adjustments for individual profiles, and treated Rooney as an exceptional booking. Both the point estimates and the ranges are editorial judgement calls, not leaked amounts.
| Rumoured contestant | Our best guess | Plausible range | Why this estimate? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Rooney | £750,000 | £650k–£950k | The Sun says he has the biggest deal and describes a substantial six-figure sum. The exact amount is unknown. |
| Leigh Francis (Keith Lemon) | £225,000 | £175k–£300k | Long-running TV comedy name; reports suggest producers have pursued him for years. |
| Joanna Page | £180,000 | £125k–£225k | Gavin & Stacey star with a substantial mainstream television audience. |
| Ricky Wilson | £170,000 | £120k–£225k | Kaiser Chiefs frontman and former The Voice UK coach; a recognisable music and TV booking. |
| AJ Odudu | £150,000 | £100k–£200k | Big Brother presenter with a prime-time ITV profile and existing TV commitments. |
| Sharky (Sharmarke Mohamud) | £125,000 | £75k–£175k | Beta Squad creator with younger-audience reach; 2025 creator Angry Ginge was reportedly paid £100k. |
| Ade Adepitan | £115,000 | £80k–£165k | Established broadcaster and Paralympian with mainstream TV recognition. |
| Chloe Burrows | £110,000 | £75k–£160k | Love Island and podcast/radio profile; social audience could strengthen her negotiating position. |
| Claire Sweeney | £105,000 | £75k–£150k | Familiar soap and stage actor; comparable with reported fees for established TV performers. |
| Mariella Frostrup | £95,000 | £65k–£140k | Experienced journalist and broadcaster; strong name recognition but a less obvious youth draw. |
| Leomie Anderson | £85,000 | £60k–£135k | International model and TV presenter, with a more specialist audience than some TV names. |
| Jack Skipper | £70,000 | £50k–£110k | Up-and-coming stand-up and online comedian; a jungle appearance could raise his profile. |
Our total prediction is £2,180,000 across the 12 names above. These are speculative gross appearance fees, not ITV disclosures or an actual production budget. The ranges show how uncertain our guesses are.
What did earlier I’m a Celebrity contestants reportedly earn?
Prior years give useful benchmarks, although payment figures come from press reports rather than disclosed ITV contracts. Most of our 2026 estimates sit close to those comparisons; Rooney is the exception.
Selected reported 2025 appearance fees
Widely reported appearance fee. She finished runner-up.
Widely reported appearance fee for his jungle appearance.
For another comparison, 2024 coverage put Danny Jones and digital creator GK Barry at around £150,000 each, while Coleen Rooney’s widely reported £1.5 million deal was exceptional. Reports and expert estimates can disagree, so the figures should be treated as indicative.
How does I’m a Celebrity payment work?
The show pays for participation. The amount can depend on the celebrity’s contract, rather than how many trials they win.
Appearance fee
Each campmate can negotiate a different sum. ITV does not release a public list of all agreed payments.
Leaving early
Previous reporting describes a 72-hour condition for the full fee. The precise terms of 2026 contracts have not been disclosed.
Winning the show
The King or Queen of the Jungle receives the title, not a separate cash prize. Their appearance fee is a different matter.
How did we estimate the 2026 fees?
Comparable signings and audience reach
We compared previous reports: Aitch (£250k) and Jack Osbourne (£200k) in 2025, Angry Ginge (£100k), and a range of established TV names around £75k–£100k. We then judged how widely each rumoured 2026 star is known.
Negotiating power, not net worth
A celebrity may ask for more if they have a demanding schedule, major name recognition or strong value to ITV. We cannot see negotiations, so these amounts are estimates of a one-off appearance fee, not annual earnings.
Our guesses are rounded to avoid implying access to contracts. Taxes, agents’ commissions and other possible deductions are not taken into account.
Our 2026 appearance-fee prediction
Our revised best guesses are £750,000 for Wayne Rooney, £225,000 for Leigh Francis and £180,000 for Joanna Page. The other nine span £70,000–£170,000, putting our total at about £2,180,000. There is no confirmed 2026 fee list, so the ranking should be read as a prediction rather than a revelation.
Frequently asked questions
How much are I’m a Celebrity 2026 contestants paid?
We estimate appearance fees ranging from £70,000 for Jack Skipper to £750,000 for Wayne Rooney, with a combined predicted total of £2,180,000. All of these exact figures are our guesses, not confirmed or reported contracts.
How much is Wayne Rooney being paid for I’m a Celebrity 2026?
Our best guess is £750,000, within an illustrative £650,000–£950,000 range. Reporting says only that Rooney could receive a sizeable six-figure fee; it does not reveal an exact amount.
Do contestants get paid if they leave I’m a Celebrity early?
Previous reporting describes a 72-hour condition for receiving a full appearance fee. Early departures may result in reduced payments, but each contract is private and the rule has not been independently confirmed for the 2026 series.
Does the I’m a Celebrity winner receive extra prize money?
No separate cash prize is traditionally awarded for winning. The winner receives the King or Queen of the Jungle title, while appearance fees are negotiated individually.
Hasnaat Mahmood
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