Joanna Page and Wayne Rooney enter I'm a Celebrity jungle

Joanna Page and Wayne Rooney have arrived in Australia to compete on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! The new series, which launches on Monday 16 November at 9pm on ITV, features a record-breaking lineup of eleven celebrities. Page, the 49-year-old actor famous for playing Stacey Shipman in Gavin and Stacey, did not tell her sitcom co-stars about her jungle adventure.

She believes they will be shocked but amused. Ruth Jones, who plays her on-screen best friend Nessa Jenkins, has already responded publicly. On Instagram, Jones urged Page to have a crackin' time while humorously warning her about the trials ahead. Page aims to become the first Welsh woman to win the title, calling it a pretty good title to take home. She enters the jungle alongside former England footballer Wayne Rooney, 41, who hopes the show will rehabilitate his public image.

Historic firsts on the jungle floor

This year's cast introduces several landmark moments. Paralympian and broadcaster Ade Adepitan becomes the show's first contestant in a wheelchair. He described the opportunity as a moment in time, stating that even if he is eliminated first, he will always be remembered as the person in a wheelchair. Words like 'honour' and 'privilege' are the ones I feel, but I don't think they sum it up enough, Adepitan said.

The series also features two high-profile married couples following each other into the jungle. Wayne Rooney will attempt the trials two years after his wife Coleen finished as runner-up. The full roster of celebrities facing Page and Rooney includes:

Rooney joked that his short-lived football management career has left him with more free time. He always wanted to do the show and hopes viewers will see his genuine, fun-loving side.

Page's personal motivation

For Joanna Page, the decision to join was instant. She made a gut decision to say 'yes' straight away. The actor, who shares four children with her husband James Thornton, sees the experience as a chance to reconnect with herself away from motherhood. She hopes to find peace and time for my thoughts away from the daily school run. I can be me, I can be Jo and not only mummy all the time, she explained.

Her resolve will be tested by her fears. Page admitted she is quite scared of heights but is far more terrified of spiders. Compared to spiders, I can cope, she stated. Despite the dread of creepy crawlies, she is determined to embrace physical challenges like jumping off things, vowing not to crumble.

Her Gavin and Stacey co-star Ruth Jones shared a characteristically blunt send-off. O! Stace - they’re gonna make you stick all manner of matter in your gob, Jones said, quoting her iconic character Nessa. Page left Barry Island behind, arriving at Brisbane airport in leopard print trousers, ready to take on the Bushtucker Trials.