Why Sam Thompson won’t be awarded cash prize for winning I’m A Celebrity

We finally have a winner for this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Earlier this evening (10 December), Sam Thompson was crowned King of the Jungle by Ant and Dec after beating runner-up Tony Bellew and Nigel Farage, who came in third place to the title.

However, Sam won’t be awarded a cash prize for winning I’m A Celebrity and here's why.

Now, any seasoned viewers will know by now that any celeb given the title of King of the Jungle will receive a crown, staff and the chance to sit on the iconic I'm A Celeb throne.

However, it has since been revealed that the Made in Chelsea star will not be going home with a cushy cash prize this season.

The reason for the decision is because, this year, ITV has decided the contestants will only receive a flat fee for appearing on the show.

According to the Mirror, the only condition for receiving such a fee is that campmates must remain in the jungle for at least 72 hours.

Over the last week, we've slowly said goodbye to this year's line-up - with the exception of food critic Grace Dent and US actor Jamie Lynn Spears, who both left the show prematurely during the second week, citing respective 'medical reasons'.

Even though the pair departed early, they lasted over a week in the camp so will still receive their money in full.

ITV

It has been widely reported that Nigel is being paid a staggering £1.5million for taking part, which would be a record fee for the show.

Meanwhile, Mail Online claimed that Grace will get an appearance fee of a decent £100,000, and Jamie-Lynn could be getting up to a hefty £250,000.

While it is unclear how much Sam has earned on the show, celebrities are usually paid between £30,000 and £600,000.

He will be replacing last year's queen, footballer Jill Scott as the King of the Jungle.

Fans have since rushed to social media to share their praise with one X, formerly Twitter, user congratulating: "Sam absolutely deserves the crown! He brought so much positive energies to the series!

"He’s also a very open minded person and good hearted."

A second added: "Well deserved! Full of positivity!"

A third fan chimed in: "Absolutely fantastic news! Massive congratulations Sam!!!"

"The most deserved winner - loved him!" echoed a final viewer.

Well done, Sam!

Topics: Im A Celebrity, TV And Film, Celebrity, Sam Thompson, ITV

Rhiannon Ingle

Rhiannon Ingle is a Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from the University of Manchester in 2021 in English Literature. Alongside her studies, she was the Lifestyle Editor of The Mancunian, the largest student newspaper in the United Kingdom. Her favourite topics to write about include sex and relationships, bizarre lifestyle trends and all things travel.