I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! has confirmed Ade Adepitan as its first wheelchair-using campmate for the 2026 series. ITV says the Australian jungle camp is being adapted so the broadcaster and former Paralympic basketball player can move around it. The announcement adds a significant, specific dimension to the newly confirmed line-up ahead of the programme’s Monday 16 November return.
What ITV has confirmed about Ade Adepitan
ITV’s 10 November cast announcement names Adepitan among the celebrities preparing to enter camp. It identifies him as the show’s first wheelchair-using contestant and says production staff are adapting the camp for his mobility. That is a confirmed production commitment, rather than an unverified rumour about a possible signing. The announcement does not, however, provide a detailed plan of every adjustment, obstacle or individual Bushtucker Trial.
Adepitan has already represented Great Britain in wheelchair basketball and won a bronze medal at the 2004 Paralympic Games. His subsequent career as a television presenter has taken him into travel and factual broadcasting. The jungle is a different sort of television assignment: instead of explaining a location to viewers, he will be living in a shared camp and participating in a competition whose daily events are shaped by challenges and public votes.
Why the camp adaptations matter
Accessibility is not merely a question of reaching the entrance. The programme’s format involves communal living, moving around an outdoor setting and participating in activities under pressure. ITV’s confirmation that the camp is being adapted is therefore an important practical part of the casting news. It tells viewers that producers have been preparing for Adepitan’s participation rather than treating access as an afterthought.
There are also clear limits to what has been announced. ITV has not set out a comprehensive list of alterations to paths, sleeping arrangements or challenges in the material cited here. It would be misleading to promise particular trial designs, claim that every task has already been redesigned or predict how Adepitan will perform. Those details will have to come from the broadcaster or the episodes themselves.
What Ade has said about joining the show
In the broadcaster’s introduction, Adepitan describes the opportunity as unusually meaningful and acknowledges feeling overwhelmed by becoming the first contestant to use a wheelchair. He also approaches the experience with curiosity about life outside his usual comfort zone. His comments are striking because they put the emphasis on participation and the experience itself, rather than inviting the audience to treat his disability as the only story.
His competitive background is relevant context, but it does not guarantee jungle success. Wheelchair basketball at elite level demands teamwork and resilience; an entertainment programme adds unpredictable social situations, unfamiliar routines and audience decisions. Adepitan will have to negotiate the same broad format as his fellow campmates, while viewers wait to see how the production handles access in practice.
Who will share the jungle with him?
The official 2026 cast includes Wayne Rooney, Chloe Burrows, Ricky Wilson, Joanna Page, AJ Odudu, Sharky, Jack Skipper, Leomie Anderson, Claire Sweeney and Mariella Frostrup alongside Adepitan. That mix brings together television presenters, performers, a musician, a comedian, a creator and other familiar faces. ITV has introduced the cast, but their eventual alliances, disagreements and trial performances cannot be known before the series begins.
One interesting contrast is the different kinds of television experience represented. Odudu is accustomed to presenting reality television, Burrows has previously competed on Love Island, and Page is known for scripted comedy. Adepitan’s background spans sport and factual presenting. None of those careers establishes how a person will respond to limited comforts or a new group of strangers, but they offer viewers useful context as the opening episode approaches.
When does I’m a Celebrity 2026 begin?
ITV confirms the new series starts on Monday 16 November at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with Ant and Dec returning as hosts. The 2026 edition is set in Australia and the broadcaster expects the familiar jungle competition to unfold over approximately three weeks. Viewers should use the broadcaster’s listings for any subsequent changes to individual nights.
For now, the most substantial confirmed development is straightforward: Adepitan is in the official cast, and ITV says it is adapting the camp for him. That makes his participation an important moment for the format without requiring invented promises about the challenges or a prediction of the winner. How those arrangements work on screen is one of the legitimate questions viewers can follow when the series begins.
Sources and verification
This article is based on ITV News’ official 10 November cast announcement and Goss.ie coverage of the confirmed 2026 line-up. Earlier speculation about Adepitan joining the programme has not been presented as a fresh announcement.