'That was probably reckless of me.' What happened to the winners of I'm A Celeb after they won?

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here is a vibe in 2023. 

The ratings are fairing well for what will be Dr Chris Brown’s final season of the series. Lucky you, Channel Seven. And while we do wonder who’ll join his co-host Julia Morris in 2024, our main focus is on who’ll take out this year’s title. 

Our hopes are on a woman, after all, only three of the eight previous winners have been queens. 

So, while we wait with bated breath, let’s take a look at the former Kings and Queens of the jungle.

2022: Dylan Lewis.

Upon his arrival in the jungle, Dylan Lewis declared, “I am a clean freak. I usually wipe everything down with an anti-bacterial wipe before going near it.” So, we didn’t really think he stood a chance. 

But willpower prevailed and the radio host and music industry buff trumped country singer Brooke McClymont to take the crown in 2022 and donate $100,000 to Lifeline, his chosen charity. 

A year on, he’s still a regular on ABC Radio Melbourne, and hosting his web series, The Dylan Lewis Internet Show. 

Going on I’m A Celeb was a life-changing experience for the father-of-two. “I was sort of not taking [the show] that seriously before I went in…like, I don’t like germs, and I don’t like heights, and I don’t like snakes,” he recalled in a chat with WHO. “Turned out those things pale in comparison to when it comes to opening up my soul, and being that real,” he said. “I’ve never done that in public before, never talked about this kind of stuff…that ended up being the hardest, but the most rewarding part of the whole experience.”

Watch: Abbie Chatfield won I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Story continues below.

2021: Abbie Chatfield.

Abbie Chatfield went from everyday Aussie chick to media darling when she came runner-up on season seven of The Bachelor. But In 2021 she wasn’t settling for second best, and snapped up that jungle crown for Dementia Australia, which was no surprise, because Abbie absolutely slayed that season and she’s continued to do so ever since. 

From her killer radio program Hot Nights With Abbie Chatfield and her podcast It’s A Lot, to a judging role on The Masked Singer and hosting gigs on Love Island’s After Party and the new dating show FBOY Island – she’s busy. Oh, and she also released her own line of sex toys. 

The 27-year-old’s a sexually confident, free spirit and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. As a result of her success, she told Fashion Journal in 2022 she has a serious case of Imposter Syndrome. “But really, that’s kind of been the reason I’ve been so successful – because I try to learn everything I can and really immerse myself in the jobs that I do.” She added, “I’m very lucky to have this job, I’m very, very appreciative of it, I love it and I wouldn’t change it.”

2020: Miguel Maestre.

This Spanish hombre was the clear winner from the get-go. The celebrity chef not only won over Australia, but he was a favourite with his fellow campmates, like runner-up Dale Thomas and the fabulous Rhona Burchmore. He was ‘the rock’ in the jungle, and took home the winnings for his chosen charity, R U OK?. 

These days he’s still a staple on Aussie TV and pumps out incredible food products under his Maestre Enterprises label. Have you tried his crisps? They’re a must. When his weekly program The Living Room, alongside Dr Chris Brown and Amanda Keller was cancelled after 11 years in 2022, the father-of-two was philosophical about his future, but wouldn’t reveal what he’s got in the pipeline, just yet. Sounds like he’s got something cooking. 

2019: Richard Reid.

Image: Ten

He calls himself an “old gay gansta”, but the entertainment reporter is also a former King of the Jungle. 

Since beating Yvie Jones and Shane Crawford at the finale in 2019, Richard’s continued to be a red carpet fixture. He’s also an ambassador for Beyond Blue, a mental health charity close to his heart. “It is going to get better”, he told Star Observer in 2022. “If anyone knows that, I do. When I was young, I was at the bottom of the pecking order, lower than the low, and somehow, I turned out to be okay.” 

And do you know he’s a bit of a fitness freak too? He told the site, “I love group exercise. Exercise is so important. I love that F45, spinning, step aerobics, Jane Fonda. Any day of the week, I’ll just be as happy as a pig in s**t if I’m exercising.” 

2018: Fiona O’Loughlin.

Image: Ten

Comedian Fiona’s battle with the bottle was front and centre on I’m A Celeb. She was candid, honest and captivating as she opened up about her alcoholism in front of the other campers. 

At the time we thought she was sober, until a two years later when she admitted to drinking hand sanitiser in the jungle to cope with the pressure. She even admitted the show’s producers noticed her stumbling and slurring at one point. "I only knew about hand sanitiser because I’d been to so many rehabs,” she told The Project. "I think it was probably reckless of me [to do the show]. That is the problem with addicts, we think we do but we don’t have our own best interests at heart.” 

In 2023, she’s got comedy shows slated for the Adelaide Fringe Festival, and she even sells merch like T-shirts and stubby holders on her website. 

2017: Casey Donovan.

Casey Donovan is used to winning. In 2004 she won Australian Idol, and in 2017 she took home the Queen of the Jungle crown. It was about time a female won the series! 

Ever since that day her career has been on an incline. She’s currently starring in &Juliet, the musical, and is Jenny Craig’s celebrity ambassador. She was also the headline act at this year’s New Year’s Eve concert at the Sydney Opera House and then went on to host Sydney’s World Pride event. She’s an icon, and a very loved Aussie. 

"[I think] 2023 is going to be a good year, I can feel it,” she told Woman’s Day earlier this year, and suggested it was because she’s healthier than ever, and successful, too. "We only get one vessel in this life, and this is mine. I just want to live a healthy and happy life," she said.

2016: Brendan Fevola.

Image: Smh

Brendan Fevola showed he was a true King of the Jungle when he split his $100,000 prize with runner-up Paul Harragon. 

It was nice to see a wholesome and generous side to Brendan, who’d had his fair share of controversies outside his AFL career. If anything, I’m A Celeb was the best thing to happen to the footy great’s career. He’s had a long-standing and coveted radio gig on the Fifi, Fev & Nick breakfast show, and is a regular fixture on the AFL scene. 

He’s also an amazing dad to his four daughters and a new and improved hubby to wife Alex, who he will remarry following a divorce and reconciliation. For him, family comes before everything else. "I get home, I see all my kids, cook them dinner and I sit at the table and I just look around… I'm a father of four amazing daughters and a fiancé to an incredible woman Alex," he told Woman's Day. "I feel really happy and fulfilled."

2015: Freddie Flintoff.

Australia’s inaugural season of I’m A Celeb will go down as one of the best. 

English cricket legend Freddie Flintoff was named King of the Jungle, Barry Hall came second and Chrissie Swan came in third. It was a seriously tight finish, but Freddie thought eating raw animal testicles was child’s play. “It was the easiest month of my life. It was amazing. I just laid there and did nothing for a month,” he admitted to Chris Evans’ UK radio show in 2021. 

At the time, he was cash-strapped after retiring from cricket years earlier, and used his salary from the series to take his family on a holiday. Nowadays he’s one of the hosts of Top Gear and is worth around $30 million. But the new season has been put on hold after Freddie was in an accident during filming in December 2022. It’s not the first time he’d been injured shooting the show. In 2021 he crashed a three-wheeled car at 200km/ph and survived to tell the tale.

Feature Image: Channel 7 + Mamamia.