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Movies & TV

09th Nov 2022

Olivia Attwood’s I’m A Celebrity exit reportedly explained as star returns home

Tobi Akingbade

Viewers were left unsure when the the former Love Island contestant left camp early.

On Monday, it was confirmed that former Love Island star Attwood had been forced to quit the show on medical grounds after just 24-hours.

The 31-year-old was said to be “heartbroken” and had begged show bosses to allow her to rejoin her campmates.

A show spokesperson said following Attwood’s exit: “As a precautionary measure Olivia needed to leave the jungle to undergo medical checks.

“Unfortunately, the medical team has advised that it is not safe for Olivia to return to camp as there needs to be further investigation.

“She has been absolutely brilliant and she’ll be very much missed on the show.”

A source claimed: “She could see it was an impossible situation.”

It was reported that she would have to go through a week of isolation in order to return to the campsite, which would be ‘impossible’.

ITV have declined to comment on the reason behind her exit.

“It was felt this would be too much time to spend away from the competition and potentially place her campmates at a disadvantage to her,” a TV source claimed to The Sun.

They also said: “Olivia would have been going back in almost halfway through the series, which simply wasn’t fair.”

But a friend close to Olivia insisted her exit had nothing to do with Covid rules as they said: “The show is very covid safe but the so-called bubble is not the same as it was in Wales. Mike Tindall was seen trying to throw a production member into the sea on the first day. He hugged her and was in complete contact with her and nothing was said.

“Other celebs are also coming into close contact with camera crew and production who come and go from site every day and are out at night as normal. It is very different to Wales when Richard Madeley wasn’t allowed back for breaking the bubble.”

It was recently reported that concerns were raised by a member of the crew following a standard test that the celebs do behind the scenes during the series.

And after further checks were made away from the jungle it was ITV’s decision to remove Olivia from the show.

“Olivia wasn’t feeling ill, unwell, she was perfectly fine. There was just something that came up which concerned the show’s medical team and it escalated from there.

“The medical team runs tests with the celebs throughout the series to make sure they are all OK. Health and safety is paramount on a show like this where people are sleeping in a jungle and taking on huge challenges without much food or drink.

“Olivia was very keen to continue and was gutted when she was told that having left camp for tests she was not going back. Her I’m A Celebrity journey was only just beginning and she is devastated.”

After her exit, she was spotted at an Australian airport preparing for a flight back to England.

There are now reports that Attwood’s early exit could see producers parachute Matt Hancock and Seann Walsh into the jungle earlier than planned.

ITV said Attwood would not be replaced by a stand-in celebrity, but it is expected that late arrivals, Walsh and Hancock, could be fast tracked into the jungle.

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