Ten reveals secret star was locked away for last year’s I’m a Celebrity

CHANNEL Ten has confirmed they had a celebrity locked away in the South African jungle last year who never made it onto I’m a Celeb. So just who was it?

WHO was the celebrity that never made it into the jungle for last year’s I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here?

That’s the question TV punters are asking after Channel Ten confirmed that they had a celebrity on standby in South Africa for at least a fortnight of the 2015 series.

SMOKO: Stars allowed to smoke in the Jungle

I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! hosts Julia Morris and Chris Brown.

SHOWDOWN: Jo Beth Taylor versus Laurina Fleure

Last year’s series was something of a movable feast with Bachelor Australia contestant Laurina Fleure originally slated as a contestant but pulled out to have surgery.

It is believed that a member of the Justice Crew music group was also originally set for the show.

Meanwhile Ian “Dicko” Dickson was also meant to go into the jungle last year, but withdrew when he realised it would mean missing the final of the Asian Cup soccer.

Denise Drysdale was rumoured to be one of the contestants on last year’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!

Dickson, a soccer tragic, is rumoured to have still been on Ten’s list in case of emergency. Dickson remained in Australia.

But there was another mystery celebrity who spent at least two weeks in South Africa waiting for a call-up that never came. That celebrity has never been identified.

“There was one celebrity employed as a standby last year,” a Ten spokeswoman says. “It is not uncommon for this to happen, particularly for the first season of a new show.

“Network Ten hasn’t employed any standby celebrities to go into the jungle this year.”

Ten has denied that the mystery celebrity is Denise Drysdale. There had been speculation that the Studio 10 presenter was on the short list for last year’s series.

Former Neighbours star Jason Donovan (right) has been linked to I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! because he has appeared in the UK version.

Other celebrities that have been linked to the program include singers Jimmy Barnes and Reese Mastin, entertainers Rob Mills and Patti Newton, presenter James Mathison, former AFL stars Warwick Capper and Chris Judd, and former Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester.

Former Neighbours star Jason Donovan and singer Peter Andre were also rumoured participants because they had appeared on the UK version of the show.

The celebrities on last year’s show included Maureen McCormack, Merv Hughes, Chrissie Swan, Joel Creasey, and Julie Goodwin. Cricket star Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was last year’s winner.