Luke Bateman just landed in the I'm A Celebrity jungle. He's famous for 3 very different reasons.

There's something charming about a man reading.

Whether it's just a reminder that men can read, or it harks back to the pop culture trope of a dashing man with black-rimmed glasses peering curiously into a paperback — it's enough to make anyone blush, fan themselves and kick their feet.

But these men are often reading MANLY MEN BOOKS, whether it's a classic like Hemingway, a modern David Foster Wallace masterpiece, or more likely, one of precisely 54,000 self-help books that are specifically tailored to men.

It's much rarer for one of these men to dip their toes in a genre like fantasy smut. But that's exactly what Luke Bateman has been doing on TikTok for the past year, and he's been sending the girlies into a frenzy.

Now, the former NRL player and booktook heartthrob is trading his tractor for the African jungle as a contestant on I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Australia 2026.

Confirmed as the season's "Rugby League Romeo," Luke is swapping spicy reviews for snake-filled trials, hoping his dedicated fanbase will follow him from the library to the campsite.

Luke runs a popular TikTok account (@lukesreads) with over 411,000 followers, where he shares book reviews and cheerfully discusses his love of fantasy novels.

His very first video in April 2025 amassed over 2 million views and 231k likes. Whether realising it or not, Luke had filled a void: hot men who read fantasy smut.

@lukesreads

Hello booktok #booktok #fantasy #bookrecommendations #books #bookworm #bookrecs #reading

♬ original sound - Luke Bateman

Look… I get it.

There is something inarguably charming about an adorable, beefy man getting so much joy from discussing his favourite books.

Luke's videos work because he clearly has a passion and enthusiasm for fantasy, but he's not the type of person we've come to associate with the genre — aka he's not a woman or a big dork.

But since his first viral post, Luke's account has grown to cover all kinds of books. From Australian novels like Wild Dark Shore to gripping thrillers recommended by Reese Witherspoon; if he reads it, he shares it.

And if you thought you'd seen Luke's (ridiculously handsome) face before, it's because you most definitely have.

Luke appeared as one of three leading men on The Bachelor Australia during its final season in 2023, alongside Ben Waddell and Wesley Senna Cortes.

Watch Luke's The Bachelor intro package. Post continues after video.

Bateman chose Ellie Rolfe in his finale, but their relationship was short-lived.

For non-reality TV fans, you might recognise Luke for his career as a professional rugby league player with the Canberra Raiders, where he played until a knee injury ended his NRL career in 2019.

And now, he can add author to his resume.

Off the back of his newfound TikTok fame as simply 'a boy who likes reading', Luke has signed a book deal.

Last year, he announced that Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster Australia) had acquired his debut fantasy series in a two-book deal.

@lukesreads

Amazing news team 🥺 thankyou all 🫶🏼 @simonschusteranz #BookTok #bookworm #booknerd #fantasybook #atria #simonandschusteranz

♬ original sound - Luke Bateman

Luke's announcement got a huge reaction on TikTok, but not all the responses have been positive. Many have questioned how Bateman secured a book deal seemingly without even having written a manuscript.

"A white man getting a book deal without having written anything? My jaw stayed right where it was," wrote one TikTok user.

"This opportunity is the intersection of white privilege, male privilege, and pretty privilege. Not a reflection of worth," wrote another.

He appeared on The Morning Show to discuss what he plans to write, admitting he'd been writing his book long before his sudden TikTok fame.

"I wanted to write books my entire life," he said. "This story has been with me my entire life… it's come together in my head over the past 12 to 24 months."

Despite the criticism, Luke posted a following TikTok on how he thinks more boys and young men could get into reading.

@lukesreads

Encouraging boys in reading #booktok #bookworm #fantasy

♬ original sound - Luke Bateman

The first of Luke's books is set for release in early 2027.

Until then, we'll always have his videos to watch on repeat.

Feature image: Channel 10.