From Beverley Callard's Knee to Spencer Matthews: What Stars Were Forced to Quit 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here' on Medical Grounds

From sudden collapses to private health battles, "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" has seen several stars forced out on medical grounds. Here is a closer look at the most notable exits — and the circumstances behind them.

For more than 20 years, "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" has put household names through extraordinary physical and mental challenges. But no amount of pre-show preparation can account for hat the human body might endure once the jungle takes its toll.

The list of celebrities pulled from the programme on medical grounds stretches from its very earliest series right up to this week, and each departure tells its own story.

Beverley Callard – The Tearful Exit That Moved an Entire Camp

Callard became the most recent celebrity to be removed from "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" on medical grounds when she departed the South Africa edition on 21 April 2026, bringing that evening's episode to a tearful standstill.

The "Coronation Street" legend had stepped briefly away from camp after feeling unwell. When she returned, it was with news she clearly had no wish to deliver. Breaking down in front of her campmates, Callard told them:

"I didn't feel very well this morning; I had a bit of a funny turn. They said I can't come back in; I've got to come home. I've got to come out."

Her time in the jungle had come against a deeply personal backdrop. Earlier this year, Callard, 68, had shared a breast cancer diagnosis on Patrick Kielty's "Late Late Show" on 6 February.

Callard had undergone surgery, with further tests ongoing to assess the severity after traces were found in one lymph node. She had previously described the cancer as being detected in its early stages and said she was "absolutely fine" ahead of treatment.

Grace Dent and Jamie Lynn Spears – Two Exits, One Week

The 2023 series delivered an unsettling week for producers and viewers alike, with two celebrities departing on medical grounds within days of each other.

"MasterChef" co-host Grace Dent was among the first to go that year, leaving early after viewers raised concerns about her wellbeing. Then, just days later, Jamie Lynn Spears followed.

ITV confirmed that Britney Spears' younger sister had left on medical grounds but offered no further details about the nature of her condition. The broadcaster added in a statement:

"She's been a fantastic campmate who has triumphed at trials and bonded well with her fellow celebrities."

Olivia Attwood – Gone Within 24 Hours of Arriving

"Love Island" star Olivia Attwood had one of the most startling entrances in the show's history, skydiving out of a helicopter on the 2022 Sunday night launch show alongside Boy George, Chris Moyles, Mike Tindall, and Jill Scott.

However, by Monday, she was gone. A show spokesperson confirmed that medics had advised it was not safe for her to continue, with no further details given at the time.

As for Attwood's team, they said she was "heartbroken" about the withdrawal and addressed her two million followers directly. "Your support and kind words have meant the absolute world to her, now as much as it always has," a statement read.

"You will hear the truth from Olivia in due course and she will be back on your screens in the New Year," the release continued. The exit placed Attwood among the shortest stays in the show's 20-year history, level with a former "EastEnders" actress.

Richard Madeley – A Hospital Visit That Ended Everything

TV presenter Richard Madeley was taken to hospital in the early hours of a November morning during the 2021 series, filmed at Gwrych Castle in north Wales.

Show medics had entered the camp and called an ambulance after Madeley began to feel unwell in the night. Posting to his followers, Madeley, then 65, said he "was taken to hospital as a precaution."

He stressed that he was "absolutely fine" and was in good health. But having left the castle, he had broken the show's strict Covid-19 safety protocol and could not return to the bubble.

Madeley described himself as "gutted," saying he had "had the time of my life" on the programme, while making clear that "the safety of all the campmates is the number one priority." The show paid its own tribute, sharing:

"He has been a truly brilliant campmate and we thank him for being part of this series."

Spencer Matthews – The Confession Nobody Saw Coming

Spencer Matthews' departure from the 2015 series stands entirely apart from all others. The "Made in Chelsea" star had been a late addition to that year's line-up, and he had not even made it into the main camp when the truth came out.

Shortly after arriving in Australia, Matthews, then 26, informed the production team that he had been taking a steroid-based medication — a course he had begun weeks earlier in preparation for a charity boxing match that ultimately never went ahead.

He had not disclosed this to ITV producers before entering the show. In a statement, he explained, "When I started taking this programme of pills it was in preparation for a charity boxing match which, ironically, never took place."

"Vanity, I suppose, had been the reason for wanting to bulk up a bit for the fight. I had intended to come off the pills gradually, but there was no time to do this before I reached the jungle," Matthews added.

He called it a "serious error of judgement." The production team agreed it was not safe for him to continue, and he departed almost immediately.

Brian Conley – Waking Up to a Saline Drip

Comedian Brian Conley's removal from the 2013 series remains one of the most medically serious departures the programme has seen. Taken to hospital mid-series, Conley was subsequently diagnosed with both exhaustion and malnutrition.

Speaking on "Lorraine" in the aftermath, he recalled what had happened with characteristic candour. "It is under extreme circumstances and I started to feel really bad because in the end, very shortly after that, I did have to leave," he said.

"I had an examination and they found I had malnutrition and was suffering from exhaustion. They sedated me in hospital and gave me a tablet that would probably knock out a horse for two days. I woke up with a saline drip in my arm thinking, 'What on earth has happened here?'" he continued.

Elaine Lordan – Twice Down, Airlifted Out

Former "EastEnders" actress Elaine Lordan had arguably the most alarming exit in the programme's history, collapsing twice within a single 24-hour period during the fifth series in 2005.

She first required oxygen after failing to cross a ravine on a tightrope. That same night, as the campmates prepared for bed, the actress collapsed again.

Paramedics and security staff rushed onto the set, and Lordan was taken by air ambulance to a hospital five miles away, where she was treated for dehydration. Fellow contestant Sid Owen was visibly shaken by what he had witnessed, revealing:

"I'm sorry but you don't see situations like that every day. She started shaking, then fell back and went really stiff. It was so frightening. It was really scary."

Ultimately, ITV made the decision not to allow Lordan to return.

"ITV has a responsibility to all of the celebrities taking part and given what has happened to Elaine on two separate occasions in as many days, and knowing what challenges lie ahead in the show, ITV has decided to err on the side of caution," a spokesperson said.

Kimberley Davies – A Jump That Ended in Hospital

Also in 2005, former "Neighbours" star Kimberley Davies was airlifted to hospital mid-series after a Bushtucker Trial went wrong. The challenge, called Hell-O-Drop, required her to drop 15 feet from a helicopter onto a floating target positioned in a dam.

Davies completed her first jump without incident. On the second, she raised her hand to hold her nose as she entered the water, causing her elbow to hit the surface at an angle.

Divers immediately went to her aid, and she was taken to hospital where it was found that she may have suffered a hairline rib fracture. The actress was kept in hospital overnight and was visited by her husband Jason, a surgeon.

A spokesperson for the production noted that the helicopter contractor had performed approximately 3,000 such jumps without prior incident and held full safety clearance from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

While "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" is built on pushing participants beyond their comfort zones, these exits underscore the programme's ongoing responsibility to prioritise health and safety.

From underlying conditions to unforeseen incidents, each case reflects the unpredictable nature of the jungle environment — and the limits of even the most resilient contestants.