Seann Walsh admits to terror of 'Strictly' backlash repeating itself in 'I'm A Celebrity'

Seann Walsh has admitted he almost turned down I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! because he was so terrified that the public backlash towards him from Strictly Come Dancing would be repeated.

The comedian is due to be seen in the ITV show's Australian camp for the first time tonight as a late addition along with disgraced former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Read more: All the campmates for I'm A Celebrity 2022

But Walsh, 36, said that he had plenty of doubts over doing another reality TV show as public opinion had turned against him so strongly when he took part in Strictly in 2018.

Explaining that his girlfriend had convinced him to sign up for the jungle, he said: "Grace is the main reason why I am doing I’m A Celebrity.

"As you can imagine I was very scared after the last time I was on a big show because the fallout was not something you would want to go back to.

"Grace talked me into doing it. She convinced me it was the wrong attitude to have not doing it because I feared what people would think, but to do it because I would have a wonderful time."

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During his time on Strictly, Walsh was photographed kissing dance partner Katya Jones on a night out, which was also then-girlfriend Rebecca Humphries' birthday.

It prompted his split from Humphries, who shared an open letter accusing him of gaslighting and emotional abuse throughout their relationship, while Jones split from husband and fellow Strictly star Neil Jones a year later.

Humphries recently published bestselling book Why Did You Stay? about her experiences of toxic love, which included a detailed account of her side of Walsh's time on Strictly.

But listing his good qualities that he would bring to camp, Walsh insisted: "I am a great listener."

Walsh's fellow late addition Hancock was also caught out in a kissing drama when pictures were leaked of him cheating on his wife with aide Gina Coladangelo, breaking his own social distancing rules during the pandemic.

It lead to him quitting as Health Secretary - although he is still an elected MP, causing accusations that he is failing his constituents and trivialising those affected by his decisions during the pandemic by doing the show.

I'm A Celebrity continues tonight at 9pm on ITV.

Watch: Ant and Dec tease Matt Hancock jungle entrance