THEIR cheeky-chappy double act has charmed millions of fans, but new I’m a Celebrity star Kelly Brook has “painful” and “upsetting” memories of working with Ant and Dec as they prepare for a tense jungle showdown.
The TV national treasures were sensationally accused by the ex-glamour model of “getting her sacked” as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent – and now insiders reveal exactly how the “bitter fallout” is being navigated as the stars touch down in Australia.
Kelly Brook is Down Under for I’m a CelebrityCredit: ITV/Shutterstock
She’s bracing for a tense showdown with rivals Ant and Dec after a war of words that has rumbled on for yearsCredit: Rex
Kelly joined regular judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan alongside presenters Ant and Dec in 2009, but claimed the pair didn’t want her on the showCredit: Ken McKay
At the time, Simon Cowell blamed Kelly’s sudden exit – just six days into her new job in 2009 – on the failure of the show’s new “four-judge” format.
But sacked star Kelly, now 45, hit back, furiously blasting the Geordie duo for “ruining her career” – and there has been bad blood between them ever since.
Now, after accepting a high six-figure deal to head Down Under, the stunning star is set for a dramatic showdown with her TV rivals as I’m a Celeb returns to our screens this Sunday.
A source tells The Sun: “How things ended with Kelly on Britain’s Got Talent was very upsetting.
“Both sides said things in anger afterwards, which meant the unpleasantness rumbled on.
“It’s been a long time since they last worked together so understandably there is apprehension on both sides.
“Kelly is determined for I’m A Celebrity to be a massive success – in stark contrast to her last experience working with Ant and Dec.
“It’s nerve-wracking that after such a bitter fallout, they’ll now be work together in such close proximity.
“However their painful history won’t be referenced on air – it would be weird and honestly just plain awkward to do so.”
Ant and Dec gave a scathing account of Kelly’s first day working on Britain’s Got Talent, detailing the humiliating question she asked them in front of Simon Cowell.
Dec wrote in his memoir, Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: Our Story: “Kelly looked nervous, so I told her it was going to be great fun and to just relax and enjoy it.
“She nodded, then looked at me and said, ‘And what do you do on the show?’
“I looked at Simon, who was sat next to me, he turned to Kelly and said, ‘Kelly, you have seen the show, haven’t you?’ To which she replied, ‘Yeah… well, bits’.”
“I don’t want to sound like an egomaniac, but the last person who said, ‘And what do you do?’ was the Queen when I met her at the party for ITV’s fiftieth anniversary.”
Kelly arrives at Brisbane Airport ahead of I’m Celeb’s launch on SundayCredit: Australia Media
Kelly was one of TV’s most recognisable faces in 2009Credit: PA
The comment was a dagger to Ant and Dec’s heart – and that evening they were called into Simon’s hotel room for a crisis meeting.
Speaking after losing her top job on ITV, Kelly said: “There was nothing I could do in this country after Britain’s Got Talent.
“The people at ITV were telling me that I had upset Ant and Dec and that was it.
“I would love to have stayed on the show. I really felt it was working out. Ant and Dec had never been anything but pleasant to my face but, clearly, they didn’t want me on the show.
“Their egos are such that they were saying to themselves ‘How dare she think she can come on to our show?’, and since then they’ve been very vocal about their displeasure at me being there.”
‘Clash of egos’
Kelly claims BGT boss Simon confirmed “some people” didn’t want her there, adding: “And that’s what it was all about – a clash of egos. My ego was dented, but it didn’t affect the way I am or how I feel about the industry.”
In a parting shot at the duo, she said: “As for Ant and Dec, good luck to them. They are rich and they are happy, but they won’t be in my autobiography, even if I am in theirs!”
Ant and Dec recalled in their 2010 autobiography they were “annoyed” they hadn’t been consulted about Kelly joining the show.
Dec said: “We had two questions: ‘Why is there a fourth judge?’ and ‘Why is it Kelly Brook?’ None of them could answer us.
“Obviously, as hosts of the show, we have to justify that kind of thing to the audience, and no one could give us a good reason why Kelly was on board.
“The simple answer was that Simon, without talking to anyone, had decided it was a good idea. We didn’t agree.”
They also argued having four judges instead of three was “too confusing” and had a “negative effect on the morale of the crew” because it meant longer filming hours.
After having such bad blood for so long, it’ll be interesting to keep an eye on their body language and whether there’s any subtle swipes made between them on air
TV insider
Dec added: “We might not have been happy, but we were stuck with it, so we went to the theatre to start the auditions, not knowing what to expect.”
The presenters claim Simon apologised to Ant and Dec after the first day and said he was already “reconsidering his decision”.
Revealing the moment they discovered Kelly had been axed days later, Dec added: “Ant and me were away for a weekend playing golf between auditions and we got a call from Richard Holloway, one of the executive producers.
“Richard told us that Kelly wouldn’t be coming back. It wasn’t that it was anything personal with Kelly; it was just that four judges didn’t work.
“We both felt sorry for her, because she’d been thrown into this whole thing, and it hadn’t worked out.”
However, the following year after Kelly’s departure, David Hasselhoff and Michael McIntyre joined the panel to make it four judges once again.
It has remained as a four-judge panel ever since – with Simon joined by Amanda, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli in recent years.
Kelly said she would have ‘loved to have stayed’ on BGTCredit: Handout
It didn’t go well for the former glamour model who was quickly axedCredit: YouTube
There has even been guest judge KSI brought on as a fifth member of the team for special occasions.
Despite the anticipated animosity between Kelly and Ant and Dec, our source added: “Everyone’s hoping the slate can finally be wiped clean.
“It’s a great chance for the three of them to work on something positive together, but it’s highly likely there will be tension that even viewers will be able to pick up on.
“After having such bad blood for so long, it’ll be interesting to keep an eye on their body language and whether there’s any subtle swipes made between them on air.”
I’m a Celeb U-turn
Awkwardly, Kelly claimed back in 2018 that she’d NEVER do I’m A Celebrity – as she took a brutal swipe at Ant and Dec’s show.
“I can just think of a million things I’d rather do. I’d rather go and work in my local pub,” she said at the time.
“Even if I had a huge tax bill and I had to pay it really urgently, I still wouldn’t do it.
“I know that they offer them so much money, so I understand why they do it, but when you’re eating stuff like that on the telly, where do you go from there?
“It’s kind of like the beginning of the end in my opinion!”
TV sources close to Kelly insist the fallout is “one of those myths that’s been repeated for years but was never true”.
Kel’s encounter with Ant & Dec didn’t go wellCredit: Alamy Stock Photo
Kelly is looking forward to a new adventure in the jungle when it launches this SundayCredit: Getty
Revealing the real reason behind Kelly’s change of heart to do the show, a friend close to the star said: “It’s a great opportunity and a once in a lifetime adventure.
“It’s just too good of an opportunity at this point in her career to say no.
“She loves adventure, always has done. She did Celebrity Race Across The World last year and it really solidified her desire to travel more and keep challenging herself.
“It’s going to be an interesting reunion between Kelly and Ant and Dec.
“It was obviously a tricky moment because she was removed from that job within days of starting and it could have totally derailed her career.
“She fought back brilliantly and has obviously been very successful, so it didn’t stop her, but that time not a great moment in time.”
How the three get on during the show remains to be seenCredit: ITV
