Keith Lemon comic Leigh Francis 'in advanced talks' to join I'm A Celeb as Ant and Dec's 'dream signing'

Published: 03:48 EDT, 2 November 2026 | Updated: 03:58 EDT, 2 November 2026 Leigh Francis is said to be in 'advanced talks' to appear on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! after being branded hosts Ant and Dec's 'dream signing'.The Keith Lemon comic, 53, is reportedly in line to be headed Down Under for the ITV show, which hits screens later this month. During an appearance on the presenting duo's Hanging Out with Ant and Dec podcast, Ant said: 'Leigh, come on! This is our plea to you. Get in the jungle. You know you want to. It's a lot of fun, and we'll be there.'Dec said: 'If we got Leigh Francis in the jungle... and we had to stand by and watch him do a trial, let's try and make that happen.' They said that his appearance would be 'a full circle moment' after Leigh did a sketch on The Keith Lemon Sketch Show a decade ago, in which he and actor Adam Booth were dressed up to look like Ant and Dec.They added that they wanted to get revenge via a gruesome Bushtucker Trial. Leigh Francis is said to be in 'advanced talks' to appear on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! after being branded hosts Ant and Dec's 'dream signing' (Keith pictured in 2024) During an appearance on the presenting duo's Hanging Out with Ant and Dec podcast, Ant said: 'Leigh, come on! This is our plea to you. Get in the jungle. You know you want to. It's a lot of fun, and we'll be there' (Ant and Dec pictured last year) Leigh's appearance would mark a return to screens after his show Celebrity Juice ended in 2022, with Leigh last on our screens in 2024 on The Great Celebrity Bake Off: Stand Up To Cancer on Channel 4. The Daily Mail has contacted Leigh's representatives for comment. The news comes after Claire Sweeney was the latest star to be in talks to join this year's I'm A Celebrity line-up.The actress, 55, is said to have a gap in her schedule after stepping back from Coronation Street in August.Earlier this week, it was reported ITV are in 'advanced talks' to sign Mariella Frostrup after Jesy Nelson was forced to pull out.The former Little Mix star, 35, is said to have backed out of her six-figure deal with a 'heavy heart' just weeks before the series launch, to take care of her daughters, amid their battle with Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 1.TV insiders say Claire is also in the running to head to the jungle.A source told The Sun: 'Claire is a massive I'm A Celeb fan and has always fancied her chances in the jungle. She was on Corrie when Alan went on the show and spoke to him about how much he enjoyed it.'Claire has had multiple meetings now with ITV bosses and has cleared her diary to make sure she's free to make the journey to Australia if she makes the final cut. They said that his appearance would be 'a full circle moment' after Leigh (left) did a sketch on The Keith Lemon Sketch Show a decade ago, in which he and actor Adam Booth were dressed up to look like Ant and Dec The news comes after Claire Sweeney was the latest star to be in talks to join this year's I'm A Celebrity line-up.The actress, 55, is said to have a gap in her schedule after stepping back from Coronation Street in August (Claire pictured in July) Last week, it was reported ITV are in 'advanced talks' to sign Mariella Frostrup after Jesy Nelson (pictured) was forced to pull out'ITV are currently deciding their final line-up but Claire has a great chance. She's a soap icon and would be an amazing addition.'The Daily Mail has contacted Claire's representatives and ITV for comment.Claire rose to fame as Lindsey Corkhill in the Channel 4 soap Brookside. Decades later, she enjoyed a high-profile return to serial drama on Coronation Street for three years, starring as Cassie Plummer.Cassie exited Weatherfield after being framed by Ross Wilkes for a drug overdose. Claire departed the show to star as Miss Hannigan in a touring theatrical production of the musical Annie.Other stars in talks for next month's show include football's Wayne Rooney, Big Brother host AJ Odudu, Love Island's Chloe Burrows and Gavin & Stacey actress Joanna Page.