Richard Madeley quits I’m A Celebrity after breaking ‘Covid bubble’

Richard Madeley has been forced to withdraw from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! after breaking the show’s “Covid bubble” during a hospital trip.

The 65-year-old TV presenter was taken to hospital as a precaution after falling ill at Gwrych Castle in North Wales in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Writing on Instagram, Madeley admitted he was “gutted” to be leaving the ITV show less than a week after its launch.

He wrote: “Hello all! Richard here – firstly just to say that I’m absolutely FINE. I started to feel briefly unwell in the small hours of the morning and was taken to hospital as a precaution.

ITV Handout Photo from I'm a Celebrity. Richard Madeley has confirmed he has left I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here because he “broke the Covid ‘bubble'” after he was taken to hospital in the early hours of the morning.

“By leaving the camp, I had consequently broken the Covid ‘bubble’ and as such I’ve had to leave the castle and all the wonderful celebs that remain in the camp.

“Obviously I’m gutted to be leaving so soon but the safety of all the campmates is the number one priority. I’m incredibly excited to watch their journey continue … even more so at the prospect of being somewhere a little warmer than Gwrych Castle.

“Thank you to everyone who supported me on my brief but completely unforgettable adventure – I’ve made some great friends and honestly had the time of my life.”

Wednesday’s episode of the show saw Madeley slide head first into a sewer of rotten fruit and vegetables during a trial called Castle Kitchen Nightmares.

The challenge saw the presenter hunt for 10 hidden stars in a room “full of castle critters” as rotten food was dumped on him from above.

An ITV spokesman said: “Richard was unwell in the early hours and was immediately seen by our on-site medical team.

“He’s since been taken to hospital as a precaution; the health and safety of our campmates is our priority.”

Madeley, best-known for hosting This Morning alongside his wife, Judy Finnigan, is one of 12 contestants taking part in this year’s series at Gwrych Castle in North Wales.

A spokeswoman for the Welsh Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 5.43am this morning, Thursday November 25 2021, to reports of a medical emergency at Gwrych Castle in Abergele, Conwy.

“We sent a paramedic in a rapid response car and an emergency ambulance to the scene, and one patient was taken to hospital.”

Madeley has recently been one of several guest hosts for Good Morning Britain alongside Susanna Reid, following Piers Morgan’s departure.

Reid wrote on Twitter: “Sending love – hope he’s feeling ok now. Doing brilliant job on #IACGMOOH and being supportive to everyone. Get well soon Richard.”

The flagship series has returned to Wales for a second year because of ongoing coronavirus travel restrictions, preventing filming at its usual Australian jungle location.