An I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! spin-off featuring fan-favourite campmates GK Barry and Reverend Richard Coles has been scrapped after only a single pilot episode, according to reports. The 26-year-old influencer and the 63-year-old clergyman formed a close bond during their 2024 stint on the ITV reality series, where they finished as finalists. Their friendship, rooted in their shared LGBTQ+ identity and deep conversations, prompted the network to develop a show exploring life and death topics. However, insiders told The Sun that the project was shelved after the pilot was filmed last year.
Producers' hopes dashed
“There were high hopes for the project because producers were excited by the dynamic between GK and Richard, not least because it seemed to amuse viewers,” a source said. “They enjoyed the idea of the wise older man interacting with the streetwise millennial as they explored some pretty deep subjects. But after provisional filming took place, it was decided not to proceed with it as a series – much to the disappointment of everyone involved.”
GK Barry's own comments
GK Barry, whose real name is Grace Keeling, spoke about the ill-fated show in an October interview with Attitude magazine. “We are exploring walks of life from two different generations — one from a gay godly man and a gay ungodly woman,” she said. “There are some depressing bits in there, but one thing about me is that I will make a joke about it.” She even joked that if the show had been picked up, she would have roped in her girlfriend, Ella Rutherford. After filming the pilot, she posted on Instagram: “Working with you has opened my eyes to worlds I’d never heard of or dreamt of before. Some of them have been nightmares, but some of them have been dreams – and today has been a dream.”
Reverend Richard Coles' reaction
The Reverend also expressed optimism about their partnership. “Me and GK struck up the best of friendships in the jungle, and I’m happy to say we’ve taken that with us out of the jungle into the wider world,” he said. He later teased the show with a cryptic remark: “Expect something surprising with coffins.” The exact reason for the show's cancellation remains unclear, but it appears viewers will not see their deep conversations about coffins anytime soon.
On-screen chemistry in the jungle
During their time on I'm A Celebrity, viewers were especially amused by GK's attempt to give Richard a sex education lesson. She said in the Bush Telegraph: “I came into this jungle maybe not knowing who I would gel with or who I would be close with in here, and never in a million years if you told me that I would be getting on best with a reverend would I have believed you. But, he is honestly… I think he might be my favourite person in here.” Metro has reached out to ITV, GK Barry, and Reverend Richard Coles' representatives for comment.
