Real reason I'm A Celeb's Reverend Coles and Tulisa are exempt from next Bushtucker Trial

Last night's instalment of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! saw presenters Ant and Dec reveal that Radio 1 star Dean McCullough had once again been voted to take on a Bushtucker Trial, this time titled 'Jack and the Screamstalk'.

While whittling down beforehand who was in the running, however, the Geordie duo revealed that both Tulisa Contostavlos and Rev Richard Coles would be sitting out from the challenge on medical grounds.

After catching wind of a comment made between several campmates following the announcement, however, some viewers have been left wondering exactly what circumstances are preventing the pair from getting involved.

Rev Richard Coles

The former musician-turned-member-of-the-clergy joined ITV's line-up of stars last week alongside Love Island alum Maura Higgins.

The pair were thrown into the jungle as late-comers, with producers hoping their arrival would stir up drama within the camp.

Interestingly, however, a handful of viewers were confused when Ant and Dec declared last night that Coles, 62 - who also works as a writer, and previously competed on Strictly Come Dancing - would be exempt from Monday night's trial.

What they may have forgotten is that, prior to jetting off Down Under, Coles told the Mail Online that he has a life-altering fear of heights.

"I actually froze with fear on a stepladder the other day on the second rung up," he told the publication earlier this month.

"Anything up high. So anything which means walking from a horrible rickety tightrope or something, that will be scary."

While it wasn't explicitly announced, it seems as though the vicar's acrophobia is what is stopping him from taking part.

This theory was also 'confirmed' by viewers when they overheard N-Dubz musician Tulisa, 34, subtly discussing her similar phobia in a conversation that supposedly wasn't meant to be overheard.

Rev Coles struggles with acrophobia (ITV)

Tulisa Contostavlos

Like Rev Coles, Tulisa hasn't opened up about the reasoning behind her medical exception from certain trials yet on the show.

She has, however, lifted the lid on her Bell's Palsy diagnosis, letting viewers in on the harsh realities of life with a facial paralysing condition.

And though some fans may have assumed that this 2020 diagnosis may have affected her ability to take on challenges in the jungle, a comment she made last night implies that - like Rev Coles - she simply suffers from a drastic fear of heights.

After Dean was announced as the chosen star, Coleen Rooney was seen suggesting that - because of the name - the trial would likely be related to heights.

"You said crossing that bridge that heights don't bother you," the WAG told the radio star.

Tulisa then chimed in, explaining that she was 'medically exempt' from the upcoming trial because it would involve heights - seemingly confirming Coleen's theory.

"I know it's heights because it's what I'm medically exempt from," she subtly announced before the end credits began rolling.

Tulisa appeared to believe her medical exemption was due to her fear of heights (ITV)

Some I'm A Celeb fans were subsequently left baffled by the confession, however, given that the first episode of the 2024 series saw Tulisa jumping out of a helicopter on the show.

"Didn’t Tulisa jump out of a helicopter?? How is she exempt from this trial due to heights?" one pointed out.

"Didn’t Tulisa just say she was medically exempt from heights, didn’t she jump out of a helicopter?" added another.

A third suggested: "Anyone else hear that from Tulisa in the closing seconds of tonight’s #ImACeleb she knew the task would be heights because she read it in the exemptions… not sure we were meant to hear that".