I'm A Celebrity 2026 phobias: what every campmate is scared of
From Wayne Rooney's helicopter fear to Claire Sweeney's maggot horror, here's what they're all dreadingI’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is back on Monday, November 16, and this year’s campmates have already revealed exactly what they don’t want to face in the jungle.
From snakes and spiders to helicopters and maggots, the 11 stars have been honest about their fears. One has even refused to say, in case viewers use it against him.
Here’s what every celebrity in the I’m A Celebrity 2026 line-up is scared of.
Wayne Rooney: helicopters
Wayne Rooney’s biggest fear is jumping out of a helicopter, partly because he’s never managed to do a skydive.
“I’ve been booked to jump out of a plane three times before and never made it on the plane!” said the 41-year-old. “I don’t like snakes or what is in the water either. I don’t go in the sea.”
He’s still hoping viewers vote for him, though. “Jumping out of a helicopter is a big fear. But I hope I do that, because then I will have conquered that fear.”
Chloe Burrows: heights
Chloe Burrows says she’s scared of “absolutely everything”, but heights are her worst fear.
“If I ever get in an open glass lift, I shut my eyes. I am terrified!” said the 30-year-old, who almost cried at the top of the Empire State Building.
Rats don’t bother her, as she grew up with hamsters, and she’s hoping for a gentle introduction to snakes. “They can’t put me in with a poisonous snake, can they?”
Ricky Wilson: celebrities
Ricky Wilson had the most unusual answer when asked about his phobias.
“Celebrities!” said the Kaiser Chiefs star. “At least there are fewer celebrities than there are snakes.”
The 48-year-old is relaxed about the trials, and has been practising underwater challenges in the pool with his kids’ toys.
Joanna Page: spiders
Joanna Page has a fear of spiders so severe that she’s spent the weeks before flying to Australia practising watching them on TV.
“Oh, I would choose heights over a spider,” said the 49-year-old Gavin and Stacey star.
She also admits to a more unexpected fear: “I’m also worried I won’t make any friends in camp. It’s like the first day of a new school or starting a new job!”
Ade Adepitan: he’s not telling
Ade Adepitan is keeping his fears secret, and with good reason.
“I’m not telling anybody what I’m scared of, because then they will heap it on me!” said the 53-year-old. “But how many people do you know who love snakes or eating dodgy pigs’ testicles?!”
Sharky: tight spaces
YouTube star Sharky says his only phobia is “having to crawl through tight spaces or caves”, and that years of YouTube challenges have prepared him for the rest.
The eating trials might be a different story. “There’s a whole compilation of me throwing up on YouTube!” he said.
AJ Odudu: almost everything
AJ Odudu planned to keep her fears quiet, but couldn’t manage it.
“I’m too honest! I’ve confessed everything,” said the 38-year-old Big Brother presenter. “I’m scared of heights, water, and I don’t like creepy crawlies, rats and reptiles. Literally, the only thing I will be ok with is the eating trials!”
Jack Skipper: creepy crawlies and tanks
Comedian Jack Skipper isn’t a fan of any of the jungle’s residents.
“Rats, snakes, creepy crawlies, I don’t like any of them!” he said. “I’m not good with being locked up in a tank either. Literally all of it is pretty bad!”
He is keen on the eating trials, though, and has jumped out of a plane before.
Leomie Anderson: cockroaches
Supermodel Leomie Anderson isn’t keen on cockroaches. “The idea of having hundreds of roaches running across my body doesn’t really tantalise my tastebuds!” she said.
Confined spaces won’t be a problem for the 33-year-old, though. “I live in a studio in New York, so I’m fine with that!”
Claire Sweeney: maggots
Claire Sweeney’s fear of maggots goes back to her childhood.
“I am terrified!” said the 55-year-old former Coronation Street star. “I remember as a kid my dad was a fisherman and there was a punnet of maggots in the fridge. For some reason, I remember putting my hand in the punnet and I can’t even look at them now.”
Mariella Frostrup: she doesn’t know yet
Mariella Frostrup isn’t sure what scares her, and admits that could change quickly.
“This could be famous last words, and I could be a total wimp!” said the 63-year-old. Spiders won’t be a problem, though. “The rest of my family is phobic about spiders, so I end up having to deal with the ones in our house.”
Read more: How to vote on I’m A Celebrity 2026 and pick who faces the trials
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! starts Monday, November 16 at 9pm on ITV1, STV, ITVX & STV Player.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI technology to synthesise source reporting and structured data. It has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.
