I'm A Celebrity 2022 host Ant McPartlin scowling
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I’m A Celebrity 2022: Ant McPartlin shows off huge new tattoo with touching hidden meaning

He's quite the body art fan these days

I’m A Celebrity 2022 host Ant McPartlin has showed off a huge new tattoo as filming for the new series gets underway.

New pictures show Ant and co-host Declan Donnelly posing in the Australian sunshine.

The pair are dressed for the warm weather, with both presenters wearing short-sleeved shirts.

And Ant’s choice of attire gave him the chance to show off his new inking.

I'm A Celebrity hosts Ant and Dec standing in green foliage
Ant and Dec have started filming the 2022 series of I’m A Celebrity (Credit: ITV)

I’m A Celebrity 2022: Filming begins

Filming has officially started on I’m A Celebrity 2022 ahead of its Sunday night launch show (November 6).

Hosts Ant and Dec and all the stars of the show have been seen meeting up in a plush villa before heading high above the Gold Coast where the show is filming for the first challenge.

And, sadly for Babatunde Aléshé, the nerves were just too much, as he pulled out of the show’s terrifying first challenge.

Ant and Dec in short sleeved shirts in Oz
Ant McPartlin has showed off a new tattoo on his arm while filming with Dec (Credit: James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock)

Ant McPartlin shows off new tattoo

However, with the stars now making their way into camp, our attention turned to the hosts – and Ant’s huge new tattoo.

It sits on his inner right forearm and has a pretty touching hidden meaning.

The tattoo is a copy of the floor mosaic in the Strawberry Fields area of New York’s Central Park.

It was laid in tribute to John Lennon.

The mosaic – and Ant’s tattoo – features the word Imagine encircled by an intricate spiral mosaic circle.

It also has a hidden meaning, with the inking – and the Lennon tribute it’s inspired by – evoking a vision of hope for a world without strife, war, conflict and materialism.

Fans react to Ant’s new tattoo

The new tattoo was actually debuted in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment on Instagram back in September.

Some eagle-eyed fans did pick up on it, though.

“Has Ant got a new tattoo?” asked one.

The tattoo could also be seen very briefly just before Ant flung himself out of the plane door in the I’m A Celebrity advert.

Although fans were more than likely more concerned with the task at hand and not Ant’s tattoo.

Scrolling back on Instagram, Ant didn’t have it when filming wrapped on Saturday Night Takeaway in the spring.

So it looks as though the body art is a new summer addition for the presenter.

John Lennon tribute mosaic in New York
The tattoo takes its inspiration from the John Lennon tribute mosaic in New York (Credit: Splash News)

I’m A Celebrity 2022 host Ant’s other tattoos

Ant has become quite the fan of inkings over the past few years.

And it’s not the first time a new one has been spotted while filming the ITV show.

He displayed an arrow tattoo on his right outer forearm and a rose on his left during filming of the 2019 series.

Ant also has the Alcoholics Anonymous symbol inked on his left wrist.

Adding to the collection is a heartfelt chest tattoo tribute to his wife Anne-Marie. It features a heart with a circle and the letter A.

Read more: I’m A Celebrity boss breaks silence on Matt Hancock’s participation 

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I’m A Celebrity 2022 stars Sunday (November 6) at 9pm on ITV.

So will you be tuning in? Tell us on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor