Joel Dommett is leaving I'm a Celebrity... Unpacked as it returns this autumn on ITV2 and ITVX. The spin-off will go back on air without him, while Sam Thompson and Kemi Rodgers stay in place for the new run and its vodcast and audio-only versions.
Dommett steps away
Dommett said, "It's time to say goodbye to my time hosting the I'm a Celeb extra show." He added that he had decided to "stay at home" with his wife, Hannah Cooper, and their two sons, including one born this year. In the same Instagram post, he also wrote, "not because of the restraining order" and called himself "super lucky".
That makes the change more than a routine lineup tweak. Dommett first appeared on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2016, then later became part of the extra-show setup; his exit now leaves the autumn version with a stripped-back presenting team built around Thompson and Rodgers.
Thompson and Rodgers return
Thompson and Rodgers will front the new series again after joining the spin-off in 2024 alongside Dommett. Thompson won the 23rd series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2023, which gives the show one of its own former contestants at the microphone rather than a separate studio-only host.
Thompson said, "It’s no secret I absolutely love I’m a Celebrity… I keep pinching myself on how lucky I am that I get to present on one of the best shows on TV. I love working with Kemi and I can’t wait for us to get started on the new series. We promise you we’ll be there to deliver you all the jungle gossip. Bring it on!" Rodgers added, "I’m a Celebrity… is the biggest and most entertaining show on TV and I’m absolutely buzzing that Unpacked is back for the class of 2026! With my jungle pal Sam, we’ll be bringing viewers all the backstage gossip live every night and I can’t wait."
ITVX, Spotify and YouTube
The format is staying broad rather than shrinking. I'm a Celebrity... Unpacked will be available on ITV2 and ITVX, and the vodcast version will run on ITVX, Spotify and YouTube, with an audio-only version also set to appear on podcast streaming platforms. That gives the spin-off three ways to reach viewers and listeners without changing the core promise of late-night jungle chat.
Dommett’s exit leaves the show with a cleaner identity: Thompson and Rodgers now carry both the studio version and the on-demand versions, while the former host shifts attention back to home life. The only real open point is how much the new run leans on that two-host setup, but the broadcast and vodcast package is already set to return this autumn.
