The stars of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! don’t head into the jungle expecting a walk in the park.
They partake in challenges even the toughest of us would struggle with, living off a restricted diet and battling for even the most basic luxuries. And for what exactly?
Well, we all know the winning celeb will gift $100,000 to their chosen charity – but it seems there might be another not-so-little incentive up for grabs.
As it turns out, on top of the charity prize money each contestant earns a pretty paycheque for their time in the jungle, with reports that the biggest stars can earn up to TWO MILLION DOLLARS!
Nick’s face looks just like ours did when we saw these figures!
(Image: Network 10) (Credit: (Image: Network 10))
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Yep, we’d be putting our hands up for the jungle experience for that amount of cash too!
For the 2023 season, Daily Mail Australia revealed that the jungle stars took home between $35,000 and $300,000 for their time on the show.
With help from an insider source, Yahoo Lifestyle has revealed that former rugby player and Bachelor star Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins raked in potentially $120,000 more than the next highest paid cast member.
”His deal his thought to be worth around $250,000 to $300,000, making him one of the highest paid campmates [in 2023],” the insider said.
”It’s a little less than the $500,000 he was paid for The Bachelor, but this is a shorter production with less demands and rules. It’ll all be done in a few weeks, unlike The Bachelor where he had to put his life on hold for six months.”
The news came just days after the Daily Mail Australia revealed that the next top billed star for 2023 was Kerri-Anne Kennerely, with the Aussie TV legend taking home $180,000 for her time in the jungle before she quit dramatically after just four days.
The next highest salary was half that of Kennerely, with comedian and former host of The Project Peter Helliar banking $90,000.
Former Australian Idol judge Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson went home $80,000 richer after his appearance, with MAFS bride Domenica Calarco, AFL star Adam Cooney, and radio personality Woody Whitelaw each taking home $50,000.
Bottom of the bill was Geordie Shore’s Nathan Henry who received $35,000 for his stint in the jungle.
Aussie TV legend Kerri-Anne Kennerley took home an impressive $180,000 after just four days in the jungle.
(Image: Network 10) (Credit: (Image: Network 10))While Daily Mail Australia disclosed the compensation given to the contestants during their time in the jungle, a representative from Network 10 informed Now To Love in an exclusive statement that they do not provide comments on salaries.
“But we can say that if the celebrities knew what they were in for, they probably would have asked for an extra zero”, the source stated.
Honestly, we would ask for that extra zero too! But this isn’t the first time we’ve been gifted a peek into the I’m A Celeb… contestant’s pay packets.
According to the Daily Mail UK import Joey Essex made the most bank in the 2022 season.
Network 10 is rumoured to have paid “upwards of $400,000” to secure the Brit and his “star power”.
In 2021 Woman’s Day also revealed just how much each of the stars from the 2021 season got paid, including winner Abbie Chatfield.
The former Bachelor beauty took home $100,000 for charity as well as a hefty $50,000 for herself, which happened to be the same amount Paulini, Jack Vidgen and Jess Eva were paid.
Abbie Chatfield was crowned Queen of the Jungle last season.
(Image: Network 10) (Credit: (Image: Network 10))Some big-name stars got even more cash; Dipper was reportedly paid $90,000 while celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge earned himself a whopping $150,000.
But those figures pale in comparison to what famed cricketer Shane Warne was reportedly paid for his appearance on the show in 2016.
Woman’s Day reported the Aussie sportsman pocketed a whopping $2 million for his stint in the jungle!
In his book No Spin, the former pro Aussie cricketer wrote about Network Ten approaching him to star on the show back in 2014: “I scared them off with a figure of two million bucks or nothing,” he wrote.
Shane Warne was put through the ringer during his stint on the show!
(Images: Network 10) (Credit: (Images: Network 10))While he claimed the network declined the counter offer at the time, telling Warne they offered the same budget for everyone, they came back to him two years later.
“[My manager] rang to say we’ve got the $2 million! Oh sh*t! When you throw a big number out there, you’re not really expecting to get it,” Warne revealed.
Warne’s close friend and fellow campmate Brendan Fevola also received a hefty salary for his stint on the show in 2016, with the AFL player-turned radio host admitting he took home a casual $500,000.
“I was going to the jungle, I was on about $500,000,” he shared on Fox FM’s Fifi, Fev and Nick. “It was $350,000 and $5000 a day after that. All up close to half a mill[ion].”
Meanwhile, former contestant Tom Arnold was reportedly offered $425,000 USD for his stint on the show, according to News.com.au. Today, the payment would equate to a whopping $592,200 AUD.
But cash aside, the show isn’t exactly all fun and games.
WATCH: Tom Arnold on I’m A Celeb. Story continues below…
With contestants being subject to 100,000 cockroaches, 10,000 fire ants and 120 litres of maggots, not to mention very little food and rather uncomfortable sleeping conditions, we can’t blame the contestants for seeking some compensation.
And other celebs have admitted to turning down the hefty pay packs to avoid the pain altogether.
In 2015, gossip columnist Ros Reines wrote in the Daily Telegraph that she was glad she had turned down an offer to be on the show, despite her offer of $30,000 a week.
“I would have folded somewhere between jumping out of a chopper into hippo and croc infested water [and] being introduced to the variety of snakes in the jungle,” she wrote.
There’s some seriously hard yakka involved on I’m A Celeb.
(Image: Network 10) (Credit: (Image: Network 10))In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if a number of big-name Aussie stars turned down the show, given what we’ve seen past contestants go through!
That being said, the show does manage to convince some celebrities to put up with the extremes.
Here’s hoping that their hefty pay packets make the experience worthwhile!
