Wayne Rooney will reportedly be the highest paid contestant on this year's series of the hit ITV show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
The former England and Manchester United captain has sensationally agreed to follow in the footsteps of wife Colleen in putting himself through the rigours and challenges of life in the Australian jungle.
According to reports online, Rooney has secured himself a six-figure payday for his appearance, with speculation suggesting the 41-year-old will pocket a cool £700,000 -- significantly more than the likes of Joanna Page, Leigh Francis and Claire Sweeney will earn.
Whilst that participation fee hasn't been officially confirmed, sources have told the Sun that Rooney, who is this series' best backed contestant, has struck the most lucrative agreement of all of the 2026 participants.
The now football television pundit's appearance comes two years after his wife, Coleen, enjoyed a hugely successful stint on the programme in 2024.
Coleen reportedly earned a bumper £1.5 million for entering the jungle on the back of her 'Wagatha Christie' trial, where she went on to finish as runner-up, narrowly being beaten to the crown by the popular McFly frontman Danny Jones.
It had previously been claimed that Wayne Rooney would command a similar salary to his wife's record-breaking deal, although it's now understood he has accepted a figure in the three-quarters-of-a-million pound range.
Rooney, who scored 53 times in 120 appearances for England during his illustrious playing career, is believed to have amassed a personal fortune of around £200 million; suggesting money isn't the driving factor behind his decision to feature in the series.
This year's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is scheduled to kick-off on Monday 16th November, with ITV1 broadcasting the three-week-long show.
