Football content creator Angry Ginge has been tipped for a stunning new job after winning I’m A Celebrity on Sunday night. The 24-year-old pipped EastEnders star Shona McGarty and Celebs Go Dating host Tom Read Wilson to be crowned the new King of the Jungle, having grown up watching the iconic reality show.
In the final episode, he took on a Bushtucker Trial alongside Shona and Tom, earning the maximum four stars in the Helmets of Hell challenge. He had to put his head into a helmet filled with creepy crawlies, enduring two minutes face-to-face with creatures such as snakes and, worst of all, his biggest fear – spiders.
He won over the hearts of the nation, with the final attracting over 13 million voters. While his friendship with rapper Aitch drew huge fanfare, his natural charm throughout the series has already put him in line for a new job as soon as he leaves the camp.
‘Ginge’, whose real name is Morgan Burtwistle, has seen his stock rise tenfold in recent years. From playing FIFA in his bedroom to becoming something of a national sweetheart, his persaonlity alone could now land him some hefty deals with some big name brands in the near future.
PR expert Lynn Carratt backs the Manchester United fan as being a ‘perfect fit’ for panel and comedy shows. She also suggested the 24-year-old could be in line to earn ‘£3 million-plus’ in a year if he lands deals with the likes of Adidas and Nike off the back of his victory. Lynn told The Sun: “He’s got a great personality, he’s relatable, a bit fiery, and funny. I can see him on panel shows – The Last Leg, A League of Their Own – even comedy formats.
“And there’s talk of a book deal. A biography from Angry Ginge might seem ambitious, but let’s be honest, people would snap it up. Money-wise? Watch this space. He’s already partnered with Puma and JD Sports, but if he lands Adidas, Nike, or Umbro – hello, £3 million-plus in a year.”
She continued: “Beyond that, gaming tech, streetwear brands like Boohoo Men, lifestyle collabs like Red Bull or even Pepsi and Coca-Cola make perfect sense. Festival sponsorships and experience brands are also totally in his lane.”
ITV bosses blew much of their budget on attracting Mancunian rapper Aitch to the show, with the 25-year-old reportedly earning £250,000 this season – still far below the £1.5 million they paid Coleen Rooney last year, a show-record sum. Reality TV icon Jack Osbourne, son of Ozzy Osbourne, was the second-highest-paid campmate, taking home £200,000.
Next on the list was Alex Scott, the former England Lioness turned pundit, earning just over £100,000. And then, surprisingly, the fourth-highest earner was Ginge, who earned that exact amount as ITV’s decision-makers looked to tap into a younger audience for this year’s series. See the full breakdown of earnings below:
|
Highest-paid ‘I’m A Celeb’ contestants 2025 |
|
|---|---|
|
Celebrity |
Earnings |
|
Aitch |
£250,000 |
|
Jack Osbourne |
£200,000 |
|
Alex Scott |
£100,000+ |
|
Angry Ginge |
£100,000 |
|
Lisa Riley |
£95,000 |
|
Martin Kemp |
£95,000 |
|
Ruby Wax |
£95,000 |
|
Shona McGarty |
£95,000 |
|
Kelly Brook |
£80,000 |
|
Eddie Kadi |
£75,000 |
Kieran Maguire joins Market Madness to explain UEFA’s squad cost rule, why Aston Villa were hit hardest, and how PSR is changing the Premier League transfer market.
Former FIFA referee Mark Halsey has made an interesting comparison between Lionel Messi‘s foul against Algeria and Folarin Balogun’s red-card offence in the United States win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Balogun opened the scoring in the USA’s 2-0 win over Bosnia in the Round of 32 at the World Cup on Wednesday night. The former Arsenal striker then received his marching orders for a foul on Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic.
The pair battled for the ball, and Balogun’s studs made contact with Muharemovic’s calf. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus initially missed the incident before VAR intervened and sent him to the pitchside monitor, and he subsequently brandished a red card.
There has been widespread debate over Balogun’s sending off and USA boss Mauricio Pochettino hit out at the decision after the game. He said, It’s ‘never a red card’ because there was ‘never any intention to step on the player.”
Pochettino also weighed in on the comparisons between Balogun’s sending off and Messi’s foul in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria, which didn’t lead to a red card: “For me, neither are red cards.”
Messi didn’t even receive a yellow card for a foul on Algerian defender Aissa Mandi in Argentina’s group stage win. The 2022 World Cup winner scored a hat-trick in that game, but some argue he deserved the same punishment as Balogun, given the similarities between the two incidents.
Halsey defended the decision to send Balogun off because the replays show his studs make contact, even if accidentally. He did, however, opine that Messi’s challenge on Mandi was “far worse” while speaking to The Sun Football on X:
“If we go back to Argentina vs Algeria, a challenge by Messi. That challenge by Messi on Mandi, he had no chance of playing the ball; it’s a poor challenge. He rakes his studs down the back of the Algerian player’s calf.”
He added: “For me, that was far worse than the one we saw with Balogun, which VAR should have recommended a review because it was a clear and obvious error by the match official.”
Balogun will now miss the USA’s Round of 16 clash with Belgium on Tuesday (July 7th) through suspension. He may even have his ban extended if FIFA’s disciplinary panel believe the challenge on Muharemovic warrants more than the one-match ban.
Fans were quick to recall Messi’s challenge in the aftermath of Balogun’s red card, and some feel the Argentina captain had been handed preferential treatment. A side-by-side replay of both incidents shows significant similarities, raising questions about FIFA officiating and inconsistencies.
Some viewers agree with Halsey and feel Messi’s challenge looked even worse than that of the American frontman, who had been enjoying a superb campaign. One fan wrote on X: “Messi went unpunished for his. He didn’t even get a yellow card. Balogun did even less than Messi and still got a red card.”
British broadcaster Piers Morgan made his feelings known on social media, posting images of the two fouls. He captioned it: “Same tackle. One (Balogun) gets a red card. The other gets no punishment at all. Must be nice being Lionel Messi.”
Some fans have gone as far as to suggest “corruption” and “favouritism” shown towards Messi. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will be in action for the reigning world champions when they face Cape Verde in the Round of 32 on Friday night.
VAR Expert Casts Clear Verdict Over Controversial Red Card For USA’s Folarin Balogun vs Bosnia
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