An emotional Beverley Callard has said she is “absolutely gutted” after being forced to drop out of attending the I’m a Celebrity: South Africa final on medical grounds.
The soap star had been due to fly out for the live final episode, but revealed she had been advised not to by doctors.
“It would have been brilliant,” the tearful actor, 69, said in a video shared to Instagram. “But I can’t go… flights were booked and everything.”
She explained: “Basically it’s too long a day flying there then [a] very late night, etcetera. But here I am. But I will be watching and I will be on a Zoom chatting to everybody, and so I’ve got to make the best of a bad job, but I am resting, I am doing as I’m told, and thanks to everybody.”
The blow comes after she was forced to leave the ITV reality show in South Africa after collapsing in the jungle camp, before being diagnosed with cancer.
Callard, who is best known for her role as Liz McDonald on Coronation Street, revealed in February that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
On Tuesday’s episode, which was filmed in September before her diagnosis, Callard broke down in tears after announcing she would have to leave the jungle.
“Of course, I didn’t know then that I had cancer, but I just knew that it was the last couple of days there that I hadn’t felt very well,” she said.
After receiving medical attention, she was then told she needed to leave the camp.
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“I said, ‘Don’t send me home, I’m sure I’ll be fine’. I’ve jumped out of a plane, I’ve hung off a cliff, and I did want to succeed and make it through to the end. But that was the start of everything, really,” Callard said.
“So it’s made me really emotional. But I will beat this. I will beat it.”
In the caption, she wrote: “I wanted to prove that age is just a number and I feel so proud of what I achieved. Just got to get through this real life trial now.”
Callard was consoled in the camp by fellow contestants including ex-Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt.
Moffatt told the cameras after her campmate’s departure: “Selfishly, I would want Bev to stay, because she’s like everyone’s camp mam, but her health is more important.”
Friday night’s final will see Olympian Sir Mo Farah, former football manager Harry Redknapp, actor and DJ Craig Charles, and actor Adam Thomas compete. The four men will vie for the title of “ultimate legend 2026”.
All other stars are expected to be in attendance, also, including Jimmy Bullard and Adam Thomas, who were involved in an explosive row.
Former footballer Bullard was partnered with actor Thomas for a pivotal trial in which the losing duo would be sent home from the ITV reality show. Despite Thomas throwing himself into the challenge, Bullard almost immediately abstained from taking part, telling hosts Ant and Dec: “I just don’t have it in me.”
Thomas angrily confronted Bullard, shouting: “You’re taking the p***!” before telling him he should have left the show after the trial instead of prematurely ending his time on the show also. Almost eight months after the series was filmed, they are reportedly not on speaking terms, and Bullard said he’d be at the final to share his version of events.
The final of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa is scheduled to air from 7:30pm on Friday across ITV1, STV, ITVX, and STV Player.
