There’s good news for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! fans as reports have suggested there are not one, but two new series of the ITV show in the works. Not only will the show return to Australia for series 22 later this year, but it’s claimed ITV bosses have lined up some iconic campmates from years gone by for a special All Stars series.
According to reports, the likes of Amir Khan, Lady Colin Campbell, Shaun Ryder and Gillian McKeith will be flying out to South Africa in the next few weeks to film a pre-recorded ‘Best Of’ series, which will air next year.
We’re especially excited about the latest famous face rumoured to have signed up for I’m A Celeb All Stars as they’re a true telly legend – none other than former EastEnders actor Dean Gaffney, who first took part in I'm A Celeb in 2006 and finished in fifth place behind Matt Willis.
“Dean is regarded as one of the best contestants the show has ever had. When the All Stars show was first mooted he was a name that everyone wanted to get on board,” a TV insider revealed to The Sun.
They added, “It’s taken some time but he’s now signed on the dotted line and will be on the plane to South Africa with some other show greats. Everyone is chuffed.”
We absolutely can’t wait to see Dean back in the jungle. Remember when he did the Temple of Doom challenge? It was TV gold.
Dean Gaffney is probably best known for playing Robbie Jackson in BBC’s EastEnders sporadically since 1993. He’s been in the limelight for almost 30 years, but there’s more to Dean than a few odd appearances in Albert Square.
Here’s your lowdown on everything Dean Gaffney…
When did Dean Gaffney join EastEnders?
He was first cast as Robbie Jackson in December 1993 – where he was joined by the now iconic Bianca and Carol Jackson – and remained on the Square for eleven years until his was axed in 2003 along with Bindya Solanki (who played his girlfriend Nita Mistry).
He briefly returned in 2004 for the wedding of his half-sister Sonia Jackson and again in 2015 and then in 2017.
Why did Dean Gaffney leave EastEnders?
In 2017, it was announced that Dean would head back to the Square on a full-time basis. However, he was written out of the soap in 2019 amid concerns about his behaviour off-set. Viewers last saw Robbie as he headed to India to visit his son Sami.
After his axing, he told the same publication, "During my time in the public eye there have been a lot of kiss-and-tells about me.
"I have a self-destruct button and people can't understand why I press it. I have no idea why I pressed it. I think EastEnders just thought enough is enough – and I don't blame them."
Despite Dean not returning to EastEnders (yet), he previously revealed that he is friends with a lot of his former co-stars on the show. “I’m really pally with Steve McFadden (Phil), and Natalie Cassidy (Sonia) is like my real life sister,” he said.
“Funnily enough, Richard Blackwood, is one of my best friends in real life so it’s nice he’s on the set too. I know it’s a cliche, but it does feel like coming home.”
How old is Dean Gaffney?
He was born on 14 February 1978, making him 44 years old.
Where is Dean Gaffney from?
He was born in Hammersmith, London.
CHECK OUT: 17 of the STEAMIEST soap kisses in TV history
17 of the STEAMIEST soap kisses in TV history - SLIDER with cover pic
1 of 37Coronation Street
2 of 37Jimmy King and Kelly Windsor, Emmerdale
Kelly Windsor had a VERY tumultuous life in the Dales. Her relationship with Jimmy King began as a brief fling, but it ended after he discovered she was working as a glamour model and didn't like it. They eventually got married,
3 of 37Kelly Windsor and Jimmy King
Sadly, Kelly and Jimmy's relationship fell apart after she had a secret abortion and he couldn't forgive her for it, but what a steamy passion they had together!
4 of 37Sharon Mitchell and Phil Mitchell, EastEnders
Blimey, don't EastEnders writers LOVE pitting siblings against each other in a love triangle?! And why is it always the Mitchells?! Anyway. Sharon married her abusive boyfriend Grant - but falls for his sensitive brother, Phil.
5 of 37Sharon Watts and Phil Mitchell
And we all remember how that one turned out, don't we? Shaz's friend Michelle accidentally recorded them talking about how she had feelings for Phil, leaving Grant to find it and, of course, play it to the ENTIRE population of Walford in the Queen Vic at Phil and Kathy's engagement party.
6 of 37Sienna Blake and Dodger Savage, Hollyoaks
Ok, we know this one isn't so much steamy as ABSOLUTELY GROSS, but it's pretty controversial so we simply couldn't ignore it. Dodger and Sienna conceived a baby when they were 13 after a brief encounter, but Sienna's father Patrick gave her away.
7 of 37Sienna Blake and Dodger Savage, Hollyoaks
Fast forward however many years and they meet again - but they soon realise that despite sleeping together and having a baby, they're actually LONG LOST TWIN SIBLINGS. NOOOOO.
8 of 37Kim Tate and Dave Glover, Emmerdale
Kim Tate is one of the most loved/hated characters in soap history. She is best remembered for seeming utterly evil, and her failed relationships were the stuff of legend.
9 of 37Kim Tate and Dave Glover, Emmerdale
Despite her many passionate kisses, Kim rolling around in hay in a barn is just too classic Emmerdale to leave out.
10 of 37Sinead O'Connor and Tony Hutchinson, Hollyoaks
Don't the soaps just LOVE an incestuous affair?! Sinead O'Connor (lol) embarked on an illicit affair with her stepfather Tony Hutchinson, who was married to her mum Diane.
11 of 37Hollyoaks
Initially, Sinead only seduced Tony to get back at her mum, but then the pair fall in love for real and have a full-blown affair. She even thinks she's pregnant by him at one stage, before discovering he's infertile and Ste was actually the father.
12 of 37Peter Barlow and Tina McIntyre, Coronation Street
Tina McIntyre had a very troubled life on the Street - what with her dad being killed, being a surrogate mother and having abortion. Oh, and then being killed herself. Her relationship with Peter, a much older man, began as an illicit affair as he was at that point engaged to marry Carla Connor.
13 of 37Coronation Street
But they're not bothered about that, and have their first passionate snog on Peter's actual wedding day to Carla after she's passed out drunk. They then embark on an affair - before Carla's brother Rob murders her.
14 of 37Coronation Street
Linda and Mark basically couldn't keep their hands off of each other. She married Mike anyway, but continued sleeping with his son. Of course! What else would she do?!
15 of 37Linda Baldwin and Mark Redman, Coronation Street
This was yet ANOTHER incestuous affair - Underworld machinist Linda embarked on an affair with her boss Mike Baldwin, but when his son Mark Redman re-entered his life after years away, things got spicy...
16 of 37Kate Connor and Rana Nazir, Coronation Street
Along a similar vein, Kate and Rana are currently caught up in an illicit affair - which is a bit awkward for Muslim Rana who is married to Zeedan.
17 of 37Coronation Street
After initially writing off her jealousy at Kate's relationship, Rana slowly began to realise that it was more than just over-protectiveness of her friend. They soon began an affair - what will happen next? We wonder...
18 of 37Deirdre Barlow and Dev Alahan, Coronation Street
Now these two were the most unlikely couple EVER. You'd would never have put them together - yet there they were, getting down and dirty on Deirdre's carpet.
19 of 37Coronation Street
In the weirdest twist of events, Dev started going out with Deirdre's daughter Tracy - but that soon ends after their one-night stand is inevitably found out.
20 of 37Moira Barton and Cain Dingle, Emmerdale
Moira has only been in Emmerdale for seven years, but she's achieved a LOT in that time. During her stint on the show, she and nemesis Cain have been rather entangled as they enjoyed an affair whilst she was married to her childhood sweetheart John, before they actually got married themselves.
21 of 37Emmerdale
More recently, Moira fell pregnant - but wasn't sure who the father was. But of course, it was Cain's!
22 of 37Robert Sugden and Aaron Barton, Emmerdale
Aaron and Robert were initially just friends, and Robert was engaged to Chrissie White. But things all changed when Aaron confessed that he was gay to Robert, triggering him to realise his own feelings...
23 of 37Emmerdale
After luring Aaron to a random side of the road pretending that his car has broken down, the pair eventually acted on their secret desires and have a good old snog.
24 of 37Bernice Blackstock and Carlos Diaz, Emmerdale
Bernice was married to the lovely, gentle Ashley Thomas (RIP), but in Soapland that's never enough is it! She started an affair with her sister Nicola's fiancé, Carlos Diaz.
25 of 37Emmerdale
And obviously, Bernice fell pregnant - not knowing who the father was. She gave birth to a baby girl named Gabrielle, and after much to-ing and fro-ing, discovered that it was Ashley who was her father. Phew!
26 of 37Max Branning and Stacey Slater, EastEnders
Stacey Slater and Bradley Branning were literally the cutest couple to ever appear on EastEnders. Despite the fact that they were complete opposites, their relationship was the stuff of DREAMS.
27 of 37EastEnders
...That is, until Stacey started sleeping with his dad, Max. People across the country will ALWAYS remember the moment that Lauren revealed Max and Stacey's affair to the world with a home video that accidentally filmed Max and Stacey snogging on her wedding day to Bradley. Awks.
28 of 37Roxy Mitchell and Jack Branning, EastEnders
Now this was the ULTIMATE betrayal. Ronnie and Jack were in love with each other for the longest time, and were in this sort of weird on-off thing for ages. They FINALLY were able to put their past aside and get married, but we all know how that ended...
29 of 37EastEnders
In the midst of all this, Roxy and Jack had a passionate one-night stand - despite the fact that Ronnie knew full well that her sister was in love with Jack, Roxy slept with him and became pregnant.
30 of 37EastEnders
Tragically, Jamie was killed by none other than Martin himself, and Sonia stayed with him until his death in the hospital on Christmas Day 2002.
31 of 37Sonia Jackson and Jamie Mitchell, EastEnders
Sonia and Jamie were just two messed up kids who found happiness with each other - that is, until Sonia found out she was pregnant by Martin Fowler after a one-night stand. Despite this, they put their trouble behind them and got married.
32 of 37Christian Clarke and Syed Massood, EastEnders
Now THIS was a forbidden love if ever we've seen one. Syed and Christian slowly fell in love over time - but Syed's Muslim background meant that it was utterly prohibited. And so much more tantalising...
33 of 37EastEnders
Of course, they couldn't stay away from each other for long, and ended up in a steamy lip-locking sesh. After MANY ups and downs, they tied the knot and moved to American to start a new life together. Naww.
34 of 37Brendan Brady and Ste Hay, Hollyoaks
Despite this being one of the weirdest soap couples ever, we all found ourselves kind of rooting for poor little Ste and abusive Brendan.
35 of 37Hollyoaks
They did have a relationship together, but it was short-lived - and Brendan's near-death experience at the hands of police was truly heart-wrenching. He was then carted off to prison to live out his days... But could he one day return?
36 of 37Beth Jordache and Margaret Clemence, Brookside
We couldn't have a gallery of steamy soap kisses without including one of the most iconic snogs of them all. The first pre-watershed lesbian kiss aired in the UK happened in 1994 was acted out by Anna Friel and Nicola Stephenson, who played Beth and Margaret.
37 of 37Brookside
It was also included in the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, which was broadcast live and uncensored in 76 countries where homosexuality is illegal, meaning that it became the first homosexual kiss to be broadcast in those countries.
Is Dean Gaffney married?
Dean has never been married, but was in a relationship with Sarah Burge for 22 years and were engaged before they split in 2015. While appearing on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Gaffney admitted to David Gest that he had an affair.
In 2019, Dean split from his ex-girlfriend of three years Rebekah Rose-Ward.
Addressing the split, Dean admitted that although they shared a passionate relationship, he treated her badly when they were together.
"I've suffered real heartbreak. It was a very passionate relationship,” he told the same publication.
"But by the end we were just in this vicious circle where I didn't treat her right and she didn't treat me right.
"Looking back, I was probably selfish. I should have put her first and had her back. I do regret that.”
"I didn't think she would walk away in the end but she did. I thought I would be able to win her back - but I couldn't," he continued.
In 2020, Dean appeared on Channel 4’s Celebs Go Dating and later admitted that he did the show for the money.
Does Dean Gaffney have any children?
He sure does. Dean and Sarah share two twin daughters, Charlotte and Chloe who he is extremely close to and calls his “princesses”.
In 2021, Dean became a grandad when Chloe gave birth to a daughter. Sharing the news on Instagram, he wrote, " Welcome to this crazy world, my beautiful granddaughter Mimi. I am very happy to announce I am a GRANDAD ❤️.
"I can’t believe my baby is now a mother, proud is an understatement. Chloe and Declan you’re going to be amazing parents. X"
Is Dean Gaffney single?
It certainly seems that way.
What else is Dean Gaffney famous for?
In 2006, he headed into the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! Jungle and finished in fifth place. He also appeared on Celebs Go Dating in 2020.
Does Dean Gaffney have Instagram?
He sure does, you can go follow him over on@deangaffney1