I’m A Celebrity favourite Harry Redknapp has opened up about the moment Ant and Dec refused to bend the rules, as he was forced into sending a fellow all-star campmate home in a shock twist.
The 79-year-old football legend had to make the tough call during Thursday night’s episode (April 16), ultimately choosing Seann Walsh to leave the South Africa camp.
I’m A Celebrity star Harry Redknapp sends Seann Walsh home
Viewers watched as the first celebrity of the series exited camp in dramatic fashion.
After losing a Bushtucker Trial against Jimmy Bullard, Harry was hit with a brutal consequence by Ant and Dec – he had to eliminate one of his own teammates.
His group included Ashley Roberts, David Haye, Scarlett Moffatt, Mo Farah and Seann, making the decision even harder.
Harry has since admitted he found the situation so uncomfortable that he even asked to send himself home instead.
He also confessed he’s worried Seann now “hates” him, after an awkward slip saw him call the comedian ‘Stewart’ during the tense moment.
Harry reveals he tried to eliminate himself
“So there was a comedian in there called Seann Walsh. Nice guy. So the day before, we were chatting away, and he’s only just arrived. So Sean’s there, and he is a QPR fan, and he says, ‘The show is great for my profile and I am really looking to do well’. I said, ‘That’s great Seann’.”
“But we lost the trial and as a forfeit I’ve got to go back into camp with Ant and Dec and send one of them home. Now we have only been there two days. So I think ‘No, please, I don’t wanna do that. I’ll go home,’ and they said, ‘No, you can’t do that. You’re the king. You’ve gotta vote out one of your subjects and send them home. That is the rule,” he continued.
“So I get into camp and I feel terrible and by the time I get there I have got to tell them who I am sending home. So I’m not gonna send David Haye home. He might knock me out,” he the said.
Harry on sending Seann home
Harry went on to explain how he ruled out the rest of his campmates before landing on his final decision.
“And I am getting on great with Mo Farah and the girl on the next bed to me was Ashley Roberts. A Pussycat Doll. I’m not sending her home! She teaches me how to do yoga at 7 o’clock in the morning.
“So Poor Seann. I am gonna send him home. By the time I get back to camp, my head is full of stuff, and I was dreading this. I am sending that poor bloke home and he’s telling me how much he wants to be here,” he then continued.
“I get into camp. And by the time I get there, they are all stood in front of me, and I’ve got to tell them which one’s going home. So I’m stood there. I am the king and I have got a silly crown on…. And I forgot his name. It has gone completely blank out of my mind. I am looking over at the blackboard with the jungle jobs on it in chalk.. but someone has scrubbed it all out. I’ve told them [Ant and Dec] who is going home, so I can’t change it.”
“I am dithering, and I said, ‘I’m sorry, Stewart. I am going to have to send you home’. Afterwards, they all said, ‘Harry, his name is Seann’. He will hate me,” he said.
Despite the mix-up, Seann appeared to take the decision in good spirits at the time.
“Oh, fair enough, yeah, that’s absolutely fair enough,” he said after hearing Harry’s choice.
Looking back, Harry admitted he had “lost the plot” in the moment, saying his mind “went blank” – which led to the unfortunate name blunder as he delivered the news.
I’m A Celebrity South Africa airs weeknights at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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