Neighbours stars Rebekah Elmaloglou and Gary Sweet join I’m a Celebrity Australia

Neighbours actors Rebekah Elmaloglou and Gary Sweet have been announced as contestants on this year’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Australia.

The twelfth season of the jungle show begins tonight (Sunday) on Channel 10, featuring a new batch of celebrities who will spend two weeks living in a camp in the South African jungle.

It’s now been revealed that this year’s participants include Rebekah Elmaloglou, best known for playing Terese Willis on Neighbours between 2013 and the show’s end in late 2025, and Logie winner Gary Sweet, who played Greg Murphy on the Ramsay Street soap in 2025.

Rebekah previously starred as Sophie Simpson in Home and Away from 1990 until 1993, with returns in 2002, 2003 and 2005.

“I’ve never been in the jungle before, I’ve never even camped. I’ve never even slept in a sleeping bag!” Rebekah revealed in the first episode of the show, which sees celebrities competing in daily challenges for food and survival.

“The heights thing, I’m absolutely terrified,” Rebekah went on. “But yeah, I’m here to face my fears.”

Rebekah’s first challenge saw her and three of her fellow celebs – comedian Nath Valvo, singer Deni Hines, and NRL star Luke Bateman – strapped to a crane and hoisted high into the air at speed, whilst having to keep hold of their stars.

Failing the challenge would see them go hungry that evening.

Channel 10 had been dropping hints in the run up to the new series, revealing that a member of “soap royalty” would be joining the show.

Presenter Robert Irwin hinted that the contestant would have “snakes and creepy crawlies as her new neighbours,” a major clue that the celebrity would be a cast member from the Ramsay Street soap which came to an end last year.

Last Sunday, a week before the show began, 10 posted a video to social media showing silhouettes of the new cast members dancing, with the silhouette of the member of “soap reality” looking a lot like Rebekah.

Before the big reveal, the Soap Royalty celebrity also answered questions on their thoughts on entering the jungle.

When asked how her jungle prep was going, the celebrity – now unveiled as Rebekah Elmaloglou – responded: “My jungle prep is going very, very well. I’m doing 30 squats a day and lots of pelvic floor exercises.”

She revealed that her biggest fear was “being hungry,” and that the one thing they would struggle with would be “high, high heights.”

The show also teased that a Logie Winning Actor – now unmasked as Gary Sweet – would be heading into the jungle.

When asked which three celebrities he’d bring into the jungle, Gary answered: “Jordan De Goey, from my favourite football club The Collingwood Magpies. Secondly, an Australian cricketer, Sam Konstas, and ask him about what his plans for the future are.

“And then I’d bring in a retired swimmer, Ariarne Titmus, and ask her what it was like to, you know, win a gold medal for Australia.”

As well as Neighbours, Gary Sweet is known for starring as Lewis in House Husbands, as well as Police Rescue, Alexandra’s Project, The Sullivans, and Stingers.

Unlike in most of the previous seasons, this year’s show has already been recorded, with the celebrities heading to Kruger National Park in South Africa in late November last year.

“It’s a bubble,” an insider previously told Australia magazine Woman’ Day. “Phones are gone, they’re under strict contracts and they’re surrounded by a crew that can swell to several hundred people when you include camera operators, medics and security.

“Once you’re in, you’re in until production lets you go.”

The general public won’t get to vote for who gets eliminated throughout the series, with the eliminations instead determined by the challenges undertaken by the celebs.

The challenges – as presenters Julia Morris and Robert Irwin sang in a promo video for the show – will feature “eyeballs, maggots, yucky shakes” as well as “spiders, scorpions, bugs and snakes.”

While viewers won’t be able to choose who gets eliminated throughout the series, the Aussie viewers will still get to choose the winner.

Three endings were filmed with the three finalists, so viewers will still get to decide who is ultimately crowned King or Queen of the Jungle.

Once again, the show is presented by Julia Morris and Robert Irwin, the latter of whom shot to fame in America last year as he won the 34th series of Dancing With The Stars US.

The first contestant to be announced was NRL player and Bachelor star Luke Bateman, who revealed the news on his Instagram page on Wednesday morning.

Also joining the series is AFL player Dyson Heppell and supermodel Rachel Hunter, whose participation was announced on Instagram earlier today.

Joining them are Brady Bunch actor Barry Williams, model and influencer Mia Fevola, standup comedian Nath Valvo, and singer Deni Hines.

The penultimate celebrity to be revealed was Logie award winning actor Gary Sweet, who most recently starred alongside Rebekah as Greg Murphy in Neighbours.

The final celebrity in the lineup is singer Concetta Caristo.

The contestants are competing for $100,000 in prize money, which goes towards a charity of their choice.

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Australia airs on Channel 10, beginning 7pm on Sunday 18th January.

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