This revised report reorganises the main details around I’m A Celebrity South Africa 2026: Mo Farah, Gemma Collins, Full Cast and Winner for clearer reading while preserving the original article’s factual content.
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa returned to ITV in April 2026 with an all-star line-up built around familiar faces rather than first-time campmates. Sir Mo Farah, Gemma Collins, Scarlett Moffatt, Adam Thomas, Ashley Roberts, David Haye, Seann Walsh, Beverley Callard, Sinitta, Craig Charles, Jimmy Bullard and Harry Redknapp were among the names announced for the second South Africa series. Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly returned as hosts, while the programme again used the South African setting instead of the Australian jungle associated with the main winter series.
The original “TV tonight” story was published for launch night on Monday 6 April 2026, when ITV introduced the new run to viewers. Since then, the full series has aired, so a useful updated version needs to distinguish what viewers knew on opening night from what happened later. The format was pre-recorded in South Africa, but ITV added a live London final in which the public had the final say over the winner.
What was different about the 2026 South Africa series
The South Africa spin-off is designed as an all-star competition. Instead of introducing a completely new group of celebrities, it brings back people who have already experienced I’m A Celebrity. That changes the tone immediately. Viewers arrive with memories of previous trials, camp arguments, friendships and memorable one-liners, while the contestants know roughly what the franchise can throw at them.
The 2026 version also changed the way the winner was decided. ITV said the public would choose the ultimate legend in a live grand final from London. That added a direct viewer vote to a series whose camp material had already been filmed. It gave the programme a live-event finish even though much of the adventure itself had taken place months earlier.
Who returned to camp
Sir Mo Farah and Gemma Collins attracted much of the pre-launch attention because both are instantly recognisable beyond the programme. Farah entered the original Australian series as one of Britain’s most decorated distance runners, while Collins has spent years as one of the country’s best-known reality television personalities. Their very different public personas made them obvious headline names for an all-star format.
They were joined by former winner Scarlett Moffatt, Waterloo Road actor Adam Thomas, Pussycat Dolls singer and radio presenter Ashley Roberts, former heavyweight and cruiserweight champion David Haye, comedian Seann Walsh, Coronation Street actor Beverley Callard, singer Sinitta, actor and DJ Craig Charles, former footballer Jimmy Bullard and former football manager Harry Redknapp. Several had strong associations with earlier series, which was exactly the nostalgia the South Africa version was built to exploit.
Why returning celebrities change the programme
A first-time contestant enters I’m A Celebrity without knowing exactly how hunger, boredom, camp politics and public scrutiny will feel. A returning contestant has a reference point. That can make them more tactically aware, but it can also create pressure: audiences already have an opinion and may expect the same personality or memorable moments they saw years earlier.
For producers, an all-star cast offers a different kind of storytelling. The audience does not need long introductions to every celebrity. Instead, the programme can immediately play on old reputations, unfinished rivalries and contrasts between how people behaved then and how they behave now. The challenge is to avoid making the new series feel like a simple repeat.
Sir Mo Farah’s appeal outside athletics
Farah’s presence works because his public identity was built on elite sport rather than reality television. Four Olympic gold medals made him a household name, but his earlier I’m A Celebrity appearance showed a lighter side to viewers who primarily knew him from championship races. The contrast between a highly disciplined athlete and the deliberately absurd world of Bushtucker-style trials remains part of his entertainment value.
An all-star return also tests whether sporting resilience translates into camp life. Long-distance running rewards preparation, pacing and mental control; reality television rewards adaptability, patience and the ability to live with strangers under artificial pressure. Those skill sets overlap in interesting ways without being identical.
Why Gemma Collins was such a talking point
Gemma Collins entered the series with one of the most recognisable reality-TV brands in Britain. Her earlier jungle experience had become part of her public image, so bringing her back guaranteed curiosity about whether she would react differently this time. Pre-series reporting also highlighted a prank involving Harry Redknapp and Sinitta that nearly pushed Collins towards quitting.
That kind of story shows why casting matters so much in the format. A challenge can be physically simple but television-worthy if the people involved respond unpredictably. Collins is a performer who understands how quickly a reaction can become a clip shared across social media, and the programme benefits from contestants who generate conversation beyond the hour-long broadcast.
The role of Ant and Dec
Ant and Dec remain central to the franchise because they provide continuity between the main Australian series and the South African spin-off. Their job is partly presentational and partly tonal: they explain trials, tease the campmates and help turn discomfort into family entertainment rather than something overly serious.
In an all-star edition, the hosts can also reference previous appearances without having to introduce the basic premise from scratch. That shared history makes the show feel like a reunion while still allowing new competition dynamics to develop.
How the South Africa setting changes the feel
The South African version is not simply the Australian camp moved to another location. The landscape, trial design and production rhythm are deliberately presented as a separate challenge. ITV promoted the series as a tougher environment with fresh trials and consequences, giving returning celebrities a reason to feel they were not merely repeating an old experience.
The visual difference matters too. Reality formats depend heavily on a sense of place. The Australian jungle became part of the programme’s identity over more than two decades, so South Africa gives the spin-off its own imagery and atmosphere while preserving familiar elements such as camp chores, trials and celebrity bonding.
What happened after launch night
The series continued through April, with eliminations and new camp dynamics developing across the run. ITV’s own later coverage confirmed that Adam Thomas was crowned the 2026 ‘jungle legend’ in the final. That result matters for readers arriving months after the launch-night article because the original preview naturally could not provide an ending.
Updating a television preview in this way is useful for search readers. Someone may find the page because they want the cast list, another may want to know when the series aired, and another may simply want the winner. A complete article can answer all three without pretending that launch-night uncertainty still exists.
Why the franchise keeps using nostalgia
Television networks increasingly rely on familiar formats because audiences are fragmented across streaming services, social platforms and traditional channels. A returning-celebrity edition has an obvious advantage: each contestant brings an existing fan base and an archive of memorable moments. Viewers can join because of a favourite celebrity even if they have not watched every recent season.
Nostalgia alone is not enough, however. The programme still needs new interactions and meaningful stakes. If every storyline simply recreates something from the past, the cast becomes a museum of old television moments. The public-vote final and changed setting were attempts to add a fresh competitive structure to a familiar concept.
Where viewers could watch
The 2026 South Africa series aired on ITV1 and was also available through ITVX, with STV carrying it in Scotland. ITV also continued its companion coverage through I’m A Celebrity… Unpacked, presented in podcast and video formats, with additional live programming around the final.
For viewers who missed the original Monday 6 April launch, on-demand availability was therefore important. The way people consume reality television has changed: many follow headline clips and social media during the day, then catch up with full episodes later rather than watching every broadcast live.
Key facts
- The second series of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa launched on 6 April 2026.
- Ant and Dec returned as hosts.
- Sir Mo Farah and Gemma Collins were among the returning celebrities.
- The cast also included Scarlett Moffatt, Adam Thomas, Ashley Roberts, David Haye, Seann Walsh, Beverley Callard, Sinitta, Craig Charles, Jimmy Bullard and Harry Redknapp.
- The programme was pre-recorded in South Africa.
- The winner was decided with a live public-vote final from London.
- Adam Thomas was ultimately crowned the 2026 winner.
Frequently asked questions
Was this the normal I’m A Celebrity series?
No. It was the South Africa all-star spin-off featuring former contestants rather than a new Australian-jungle cast.
When did the 2026 series begin?
It launched on ITV1 on Monday 6 April 2026.
Did Mo Farah and Gemma Collins return?
Yes. Both were part of the returning celebrity line-up.
Who won I’m A Celebrity South Africa 2026?
Adam Thomas was crowned the winner in the live final.
Conclusion
The April 2026 return of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa was built around a simple idea: take celebrities viewers already knew, place them in a different environment and see whether their second experience produced a new version of the familiar show. Sir Mo Farah and Gemma Collins supplied obvious headline appeal, but the broader cast mixed sport, music, comedy, acting and reality television.
For anyone revisiting the original ‘TV tonight’ preview, the story now has a clear ending. The series launched on 6 April, ran through the month and concluded with Adam Thomas being crowned the 2026 jungle legend. What began as a nostalgia-heavy return became another full competition, with the live public vote giving viewers the final decision.
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