Vernon Kay is said to have signed a £250,000 deal to be a part of this year’s ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’
The 46-year-old TV presenter is expected to be one of the campmates on the ITV reality show this November after being approached by ITV bosses for the past two years.
An insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Everyone’s so pleased to have Vernon on board, he’s a lovely guy, full of down-to-earth northern charm and perfect for the show."
Vernon – who has daughters Phoebe, 15, and Amber, 11 with wife Tess Daly – hosted ITV game show ‘All Star Family Fortune’ for all 11 series from 2006 to 2015, and he has recently been the face of Formula E racing on Channel 5 and YouTube.
What’s more, other stars being eyed up for this year’s ‘I’m A Celeb’ are said to include Jessie J, and former England footballer Paul Merson.
A source said: "The jungle is the jewel in ITV’s crown and they’re desperate to land top talent to keep viewers hooked.
"Paul is really keen to relaunch his TV career and thinks this is the best way to do it after he’s seen what it has done for his mate Harry Redknapp, but he needs it to be worth his while and is negotiating for a top price.
"Jessie’s been offered good money but isn’t sure that the show is for her. She is keen to put her music first."
However, ITV could be looking to relocate the upcoming series from the Australian jungle to a spooky castle in Scotland to avoid the coronavirus flare ups in Australia.
It comes after the production team held crisis talks in May to determine if the show could go ahead, and were said to be exploring the possibility of employing a mainly Australian workforce if the series does get the green light.