The man who built his name running at Premier League defenders is reportedly heading somewhere stranger. Multiple UK outlets have named Rooney as part of the I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! 2026 cast, with the former England captain said to be entering the Australian jungle on Monday 16 November.
If the reporting holds, the show’s producers will already know one thing about him that trial-writers tend to find useful.
During BBC coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Brighton and Nottingham Forest at the Amex Stadium on 29 March 2025, Gary Lineker had time to fill in the punditry chair and turned on his guest.
“What we did learn during that first half was that Wayne Rooney’s scared of fish,” Lineker told viewers.
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Rooney’s reply, carried by Goal and shared widely afterwards, now looks less like a filler moment and more like a trailer for a jungle format.
“I just don’t like them. It’s the big fish that I’m scared of.”
Underwater tanks are the standard trial
The timing is what makes the clip worth replaying. I’m a Celebrity trials have for years leaned on tanks of sea creatures, from underwater chambers to diving-helmet tasks and swims through glass tunnels. For a contestant with a publicly flagged fear of large fish, that is less of an ambush and more of a scheduled appointment.
Reported line-up, confirmed slot
ITV has officially confirmed the start date and the slot. The 2026 series returns to ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on Monday 16 November, hosted by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, the broadcaster says. ITV has not formally confirmed the cast, which is being reported rather than announced.
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The second Rooney in the camp
Coleen Rooney made the 2024 final, where she was beaten to the title by Danny Jones. The McFly singer took 55.21% of the public vote to her 44.79%.
If Wayne joins the camp, he would become the second Rooney in the show in three series. The series starts at 9pm on ITV1 on Monday 16 November.
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