Maura Higgins' I'm A Celebrity odds slashed on as late arrival on ITV show confirmed

She might not have even entered the jungle yet but Maura Higgins has been made the new 'favourite' to win I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, as odds on her taking the crown are slashed.

After loads of speculation, it was finally announced at the end of Wednesday night's ITV show that Maura will be going into the new series as one of two I'm A Celebrity late arrivals, along with former Communards musician and Strictly contestant Rev Richard Coles. No stranger to an ITV reality show, Maura first shot to fame on the 2019 series of Love Island, going in as an early bombshell and then making it all the way to the final, alongside now ex Curtis Pritchard.

Months later, Irish star Maura was signed up to appear on Dancing on Ice and, earlier this year made a return to Love Island, this time the UA version, as host of the Aftersun spin-off. And now, having fooled fans into thinking she wasn't going to be doing I'm A Celebrity after all, having jetted off to Las Vegas last week, Maura will be seen on screen on Thursday night as she and Richard make their first appearance as part of a twist, which will seen them separated from the rest of the I'm A Celebrity 2024 line-up an d made to live in a separate camp for the start of their jungle stint.

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Ongoing rumours that she was heading Down Under were enough to have Maura in the top five with a number of bookmakers in the odds on I'm A Celebrity winner this year and now, there's been another change in the betting, with Oddschecker now having her as a 6/1 third favourite for victory, overtaking GK Barry, but still behind early frontrunner Danny Jones and Tulisa currently in second on 5/1.

Backing her to do very well in the show, Oddschecker’s Leon Blackman said: “Ahead of her entering I’m A Celebrity tonight, Maura Higgins has seen a surge in betting interest backing her to be crowned Queen of the Jungle. Her share of total bets has more than doubled since Wednesday’s episode finished compared to the month beforehand (7% to 18%).

"This rise in bets has led to her odds being trimmed from 9/1 to 6/1 and moving into third favourite in the betting markets to be the outright winner of the show.”