I'm A Celebrity South Africa star Harry Redknapp: Concerns for wife Sandra; vast fortune; and how he's related to Frank Lampard
The football manager is back in the ITV jungle!Harry Redknapp is back on screens for I’m A Celebrity South Africa as he enters camp as a latecomer – but what do we know about him?
Fronted by Ant and Dec, the new ITV series kicked off last week. And, as he finally makes an appearance, Harry is now roughing it with other famous faces such as Gemma Collins and David Haye.
But when did Harry first appear on I’m A Celebrity? And how far did he get? From his very famous nephew to his sweet relationship with his beloved wife, here’s everything you need to know about Harry Redknapp.
Who is I’m A Celebrity South Africa star Harry Redknapp?
Harry Redknapp is one of football’s most famous figures. He kicked off his career as a professional footballer in 1966 for West Ham in 1966.
Fast forward to 1976, and Harry began his management career. As a football manager, he took charge of eight different clubs over the years. These include Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Birmingham City.
He notably won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008 and in 2009 and 2010, he guided Tottenham Hotspur into the UEFA Champions League.
Reflecting on his 30-year-career as a manager, Harry previously said: “There’s nothing tougher than being a manager of a football team when things aren’t going well.
“When the results are bad, believe you me being a manager is a very tough, lonely occupation. You feel responsible however many people support your team every week.”
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He continued: “The buck stops with you. You haven’t got many friends when it’s not going well as a football manager. So no I don’t think doing this will be tougher. But to be honest, I have not actually watched the programme! I watch sport all day and all night when I’m at home and we are out three to four nights a week.”
When did Harry Redknapp retire?
Harry previously resigned from Queens Park Rangers in 2015 due to severe knee pain requiring surgery. However, that was not the only issue.
Speaking on BBC’s Football Focus, Harry said that the club had become a “soap opera”.
He shared: “I always thought I had everyone pulling with me and suddenly I felt some were and some weren’t. Behind the scenes, I always thought there were one or two people with their own agendas.”
However, after moving to Birmingham City, Harry officially retired from football management in 2017
He told Sports Gazette in 2017: “My career’s gone. I’ve had a long spell managing. I’ve done roundabout 1500 games or something crazy. I don’t see myself going back into football.”
How old is Harry Redknapp? How tall is he?
Harry Redknapp was born on March 2, 1947, in Poplar, London. He is currently 79 years old.
As for Harry’s height, he is reportedly 5ft 11 (180.3 cm).
Are Harry Redknapp and Frank Lampard related?
Harry Redknapp’s nephew is fellow footy star Frank Lampard. Harry’s wife, Sandra Redknapp, is the sister of Frank Lampard’s late mother, Pat.
The pair have a close and supportive relationship and Harry even managed Frank when he played under him at West Ham United.
In 2025, Frank opened up about Harry’s support. He told Football Focus: “Uncle Harry is the best support ever. Harry rings me when I’m on the M40 after a game. Win are lose, particularly if we win.
“He’s like: ‘I was following every bit of it me and Sandra [Redknapp’s wife], they came up, they scored…’, so I always appreciate that. And it’s always a wise word from him at the end of those things.”
How much is I’m A Celebrity South Africa star Harry Redknapp worth? Does he own Sandbanks?
He’s worth an estimated £15m.
For his original stint on I’m A Celebrity, Harry reportedly pocketed a whopping £500,000.
Following that he appeared in a range of ads including a McDonald’s ad with his son Jamie, where he was paid six figures.
Harry also has £10 million in property assets and a £3.5m mansion in the exclusive Sandbanks area of Dorset. Sadly for Harry, he’s not rich enough to own the whole of Sandbanks!
What happened to Harry Redknapp’s wife?
Harry is happily married to wife Sandra. The pair have been together since they were 17 years old. When they met for the first time, Harry was out with his friend, a “good-looking geezer” called Macca who played for West Ham.
“I look back on it now and think Sandra must have seen us both coming over and thought, I hope I ain’t got him,” said Harry previously, referring to himself.
He added: “And she went for me. 54 years later we’re still going strong. And Macca ended up as an undertaker so really Sandra had the better deal in the long term.”
Harry and Sandra tied the knot back in 1968 and have two sons – Jamie Redknapp and Mark Redknapp.
During his I’m A Celebrity stint, Harry gushed over Sandra. He said: “Even when I’m out I ring her 10 times a day. She’s my life. I’m a bit scared actually, getting older. I do love her too much, if anything happened it would just kill me.”
Harry described her hospitalisation back in 2018 as “very scary”. Sandra was urgently admitted with a severe case of sepsis, a type of blood poisoning.
“Luckily, we did [go to hospital]. Otherwise, she could have been in a lot of trouble,” he disclosed to the BBC. “It was a big shock. It really is a killer.”
Sandra was hospitalised again last summer, but no details of her condition were revealed.
How many horses does Harry Redknapp have?
Harry has been a long-time fan of horse racing and is a prominent National Hunt racehorse owner. Previously talking about his love of the sport, he told The Owner Breeder: “I’ve followed horse racing and greyhound racing all my life and I’ve always enjoyed a punt.
“It was inevitable really because I was picking out horses in the paper before I could read and write with my nan Maggie Brown, who used to collect all the bets from our road in London’s East End and then slip them to the bookies’ runner, Cyril the Paper Boy.”
He added: “That’s how it started for me, and then when I went to West Ham the team was full of punters, and so it went on.”
Harry also told the publication in 2024 that he has “probably” 10 horses in his own name, and “shares in a few others”.
When did Harry Redknapp win I’m A Celebrity?
Harry appeared on the 2018 series of I’m A Celebrity, alongside the likes of John Barrowman, Fleur East and Emily Atack.
Harry ended up winning the show, becoming the programme’s oldest winner.
This time around he’ll be competing alongside the likes of Adam Thomas, Scarlett Moffatt and Gemma Collins, herself a horse racing fan.
It’s reported that Harry bagged £500k for his first appearance on the ITV series. This time around, he’s also said to be earning the big bucks… something that apparently hasn’t gone unnoticed by Jimmy Bullard.
Reports suggested he was left “furious” that Harry was getting more money than him to return. He believed that they should both have been paid the same fee by ITV.
“Jimmy expected to be on the same money as Harry. However, Harry is considered one of the biggest names of the South Africa series. He also loves spending time at home with wife Sandra and it would have taken a big fee for him to spend time in South Africa without her,” said a source to The Sun.
What to expect from Harry Redknapp on I’m A Celebrity
Harry arrived in camp last night as one of two latecomers, alongside Jimmy Bullard.
During the show, the campmates were informed by Ant and Dec that camp life was about to change. “Over the next few days, you will be competing head-to-head in trials and challenges. Only the winning kingdom will eat dinner. The losers will survive on rice and beans,” they announced.
Ant went on to explain that the teams will also be competing for pennants, with the group collecting the most earning a safari trip to see South Africa’s wildlife and enjoy a bush banquet. “Every good kingdom needs a king,” Dec added. “So it’s time to welcome two new campmates…”
The Royal Express then pulled into the platform as Jimmy and Harry stepped off the train and took their places on two thrones. “I give you your new monarchs! Harry, the Lion King, and Jimmy, the Rhino King!” Ant declared.
The new Kings then had to build their tribes, before heading back to Main Camp, that had been divided by a huge wall. Later in the episode, the Kings picked two of their team members to complete in a trial.
As ever, and much to the dismay of viewers, the trial ended on a cliffhanger, with viewers finding out which tribe wins tonight (April 14).
Read more: Adam Thomas snubbed by ITV after ‘explosive’ unaired row with I’m A Celebrity co-star
