I’m A Celeb’s 2025 winner announced during season finale

Three celebs were left, but who has emerged triumphant as the winner of I’m A Celeb, season 11? Warning: Spoilers.

After a month of roughing in the African bush, one celeb has emerged triumphant as the winner of I’m A Celebrity! … Get Me Out of Here, season 11.

And the winner is …

Sam Thaiday. The former Brisbane Broncos NRL player becomes the sixth man and fourth professional athlete to win I’m A Celeb.

It was a surprisingly quick end to the season, with Thaiday announced as the winner and the finale ending moments later, without so much as a word of thanks from the man himself.

Viewers reacting to the sudden ending on social media called it “abrupt” and “anticlimactic”.

It seems it was also a quick exit from South Africa for those featured on screen during Sunday’s finale, which did not air live: Thaiday, fellow contestant Matty J, and host Julia Morris were all spotted arriving at Sydney Airport earlier on Sunday.

I’m A Celeb’s final three, L-R: Sam, Reggie and Matty J.

With viewer voting still open as the finale aired – but several of those featured on screen already back in Australia – some fans on social media suggested multiple endings for the finale must have been filmed in advance, allowing for Ten to simply screen the version that aligned with the viewer votes.

Thaiday, two-time Big Brother winner Reggie Bird, and former Bachelor star Matty J were the three celebs left in a season that sent some big names, among them Dave Hughes and Sigrid Thornton, packing surprisingly early.

Earlier in the finale, there were emotional scenes when all of the final three were reunited with their families at camp.

Former NRL great Sam Thaiday has won I'm A Celeb.

39-year-old former NRL player Thaiday emerged as the most popular player this season, but reality TV veteran Bird was also a sentimental favourite.

Speaking to news.com.au before she entered the jungle, Bird – who has lived with a worsening degenerative eye condition for many years – confessed the quarter-million in prize money she won from her second Big Brother stint in 2022 had only served to keep her head above water.

“I feel like I’m a mouse in one of those spinning wheels … I just can’t get off this vicious circle,” she said with a sigh.

She revealed her initial hopes that the money would get her on the property ladder had proven unrealistic.

Reggie’s two Big Brother wins have barely kept her head above water.

“I went to the bank to get a loan and couldn’t, because you need to borrow well over half a million dollars to buy a house on the Gold Coast, and I don’t have a job. No-one wants to employ me because of my vision. I’ve been trying to get a job, but I just can’t get any work, so I can’t get a loan,” she said.

“I’ve been living off the winnings, paying the rent to keep a roof over our heads. That’s where the money’s been going – on rent.

Previous I’m A Celeb winners

Season 10: Skye Wheatley

Season 9: Liz Ellis

Season 8: Dylan Lewis

Season 7: Abbie Chatfield

Season 6: Miguel Maestre

Season 5: Richard Reid

Season 4: Fiona O’Loughlin

Season 3: Casey Donovan

Season 2: Brendan Fevola

Season 1: Freddie Flintoff

Originally published as I’m A Celeb’s 2025 winner announced during season finale