The Australian jungle is supposed to be all about Bushtucker Trials, critter cuisine, and campmate catfights, but this week’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! has unearthed a skeleton from the British telly closet that’s got fans side-eyeing every Ant and Dec quip like it’s a coded diss. Kelly Brook, the 45-year-old bombshell who’s been slaying trials and spilling her soul in equal measure, entered Series 24 on November 17, 2025, as a fan-favorite wildcard. But whispers of a long-simmering beef with hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly—stretching back to a disastrous 2009 stint on Britain’s Got Talent—have turned her jungle jaunt into a masterclass in awkward reunions. Social media’s ablaze with clips of Brook’s flirty banter clashing against the duo’s stiff smiles, fueling speculation: Is this a genuine grudge match, or just ITV gold? As #KellyVsAntDec trends with 250K posts, let’s dissect the drama—from BGT boardroom betrayals to behind-the-scenes tension that’s got viewers pausing for subtext.

It all kicks off in 2009, when Brook—then 30 and riding high as a lads’ mag icon—landed what should have been her big break: a guest judge spot on BGT‘s third series. Simon Cowell, fresh off The X Factor empire-building, roped her in as the fourth panelist alongside himself, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan, aiming to spice up the lineup with some glamour and grit. Brook, no stranger to the spotlight (hello, Page 3 stardom and Smallville cameos), arrived buzzing with ideas. But things soured faster than a trial full of witchetty grubs. After just two days of filming—auditions barely in the can—ITV axed her, citing “logistical issues” with four judges. Cowell played it cool publicly: “It just didn’t work—we’re used to three.” But Brook? She’s been serving receipts ever since.

In her 2014 memoir Close Up, Brook didn’t hold back, claiming the real culprit was the Geordie gods themselves. “Ant and Dec had never been anything but pleasant to my face, but clearly they didn’t want me on the show,” she wrote, alleging ITV execs whispered that she’d “upset” the duo by questioning their on-screen roles during a pre-filming chat. According to her, Brook innocently asked why the hosts didn’t judge acts too—fair game, right? Wrong. Dec later spilled in their 2010 bio Ooh! What a Lovely Pair: “Obviously, as hosts, we have to justify that kind of thing to the audience, and no one could give us a good reason why Kelly was on board. The simple answer was that Simon, without talking to anyone, had decided it was a good idea. We didn’t agree.” He admitted feeling “annoyed” about her hiring, calling it a “shock” that blindsided the production. Piers Morgan, ever the stirrer, backed Brook’s version in a 2025 Instagram throwback: “Be interesting to see how she interacts with Ant and Dec given she still blames them for being fired so fast and ruthlessly.” The fallout? Brook claimed it blackballed her from ITV gigs: “There was nothing I could do in this country… the people at ITV were telling me that I had upset Ant and Dec and that was it.” Ouch. Fans on X are eating it up: One viral post from @whopottervian racked 5K likes: “As if they just acknowledged Ant and Dec’s beef with Kelly Brook on Unpacked. The tension is THICK.”

Fast-forward to 2025: Brook’s I’m a Celeb entry reignited the embers like a dry bush in a drought. Pre-show buzz was electric—her odds started at 10/1, but her raw confessions (like admitting she’s “never felt sexy”) shot her to 2/1 favorite. Yet eagle-eyed viewers spotted the frost. Episode one’s intro? Brook’s entrance clip cut abruptly, no host banter. During her first trial debrief on Unpacked, Ant’s “Well done, Kelly—you’re a natural” landed flat, Dec’s laugh a beat too loud. “Awkward much?” tweeted @soominhan_fit, sharing side-by-side freezes of the trio’s forced grins. Behind-the-scenes tea? Insiders tell The Sun the reunion was “chilly at first”—Brook skipped the traditional host meet-and-greet, opting for a solo producer chat. “She was professional, but the air was thick,” one source dished. “Ant and Dec prepped jokes, but Kelly’s energy said ‘let’s not pretend.’” Whispers of “scripted distance” swirled: Did producers amp the awkwardness for drama, or is it organic grudge-holding?

The powder keg blew on November 22’s Unpacked, when Ant quipped about camp grub looking “rancid” (subtle shade at Brook’s chef duties?). Co-host Kemi Rodgers clocked it: “That’s Kelly’s cooking!” Dec, seizing the moment, turned to Ant with mock outrage: “What’s your problem with Kelly Brook?!” The studio erupted—Ant’s flustered “I don’t have a problem with Kelly Brook, thank you!” drew howls, but online? Frenzy. “Finally addressing the elephant in the jungle,” posted @Metro_Ents, clip hitting 1M views. Dec doubled down in a later Metro interview: “It was all in jest—we adore Kelly. That BGT stuff? Ancient history. She’s killing it out there.” Brook, ever the pro, played coy in a Bush Telegraph solo: “Water under the bridge—or slime under the bridge? We’re good.” But her eyes? A flicker of “we’ll see.”

Fan theories are wildfire-hot. Some cry sabotage: “ITV planted her to dredge old dirt for ratings—classic Cowell move,” rants a Reddit megathread with 12K upvotes. Others spot redemption arcs: Brook’s vulnerability (body image tears, anyone?) humanizing her, forcing Ant and Dec’s hand. “It’s closure disguised as chaos,” muses The Independent‘s TV critic: “Kelly’s not the ‘problem’ anymore—she’s the star.” X sleuths dissected a November 24 clip: Ant’s “hand on Dec’s shoulder” during Brook’s praise? Protective, or deflecting? One post from @curious_media: “The tension is scripted AF, but the history? Real as rain.” Piers Morgan stirred the pot again: “Kelly’s feud forgiveness tour? Or revenge plot? Jungle’s watching.”

Deeper cuts? This feud spotlights telly’s power plays. Brook’s BGT boot echoed the era’s “four judges too many” vibe—think X Factor‘s bloated panels—but her gender? Critics like The Guardian call it “subtle sexism: Glamour hire, quick fire.” Brook’s post-BGT pivot (to radio, podcasts, and now I’m a Celeb redemption) screams resilience: “I turned ‘fired’ into fire,” she quipped in a pre-show Hello!. Ant and Dec? Their empire (BGT, I’m a Celeb, £20M deals) thrives on charm, but this peek behind the curtain humanizes the untouchables. “They’re not villains—just vets guarding the turf,” a Variety analyst notes.

As eliminations loom (Brook’s safe—for now), the jungle’s a pressure cooker. Will a trial team-up thaw the frost? Or erupt into on-air awkwardness? Fans are glued: A YouGov poll pegs 58% betting on “make-up moment” by finale (December 8). “Misunderstanding turned myth,” one X user sums: “Kelly’s owning it, lads are laughing it off. Beef? Nah—barbecue.” Whatever the truth—grudge or gag—this reunion’s the real trial. Saddle up, Silver Falls… er, jungle. The tea’s still brewing, and it’s piping hot.