Ade Adepitan says I'm A Celebrity jungle is 'more accessible than London' after bespoke changes - and reveals Cyclone ambition for his son

He is set to make history as the first wheelchair user to take part in I'm A Celebrity in the show's 24-year history.

And Paralympian and TV presenter Ade Adepitan has said he believes the jungle has been made more accessible than London after producers spent nine months making adaptations for his arrival.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Adepitan made the extraordinary admission that the camp could now be easier to navigate than many of the homes he's lived in. 

'The irony is that the access to things and the changes that they made in the jungle is going to make the jungle probably more accessible than a lot of places in London or big cities around the world,' he said.

'The jungle's probably more accessible than most of the houses that I've lived in.'

And while producers have been working behind the scenes to remove obstacles, Adepitan has also been putting his own body through its paces ahead of the gruelling experience.

The 53-year-old revealed he plans to tackle much of the jungle terrain using crutches – despite not having used them in this way since his school days.

'I haven't used crutches in this way since I was at school, since I used to go to school and go to classes,' he explained. 'And I was probably two stone lighter, 30 or nearly 40 years younger.' 

With the help of his personal trainer brother, Ade has been working hard to get himself into the best possible shape for the challenge. 'My body is my strength and I have to get it to the place where it's in the best shape possible in order just to survive every day,' he said.

Adepitan lost the use of his left leg after contracting polio at the age of 15 months in Lagos, Nigeria.

He later shot to fame as a star of the Team GB wheelchair basketball team and won a bronze medal at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece before embracing a new career in TV.

He trekked through rainforests, deserts, rivers and mountains in Nicaragua for 2005 BBC documentary Beyond Boundaries.

Adepitan has worked on a string of other travel shows, as well as sport, including the London 2012 Paralympics and Rio 2016.

But he said I'm a Celebrity is his biggest platform yet to advocate for those with disabilities.

Adepitan also highlighted the daily obstacles faced by disabled people, explaining: 'Most disabled people, the moment they roll or step out of their front doors they are rolling into a world that isn't built for them, that doesn't work for them, so we have to be on top form all the time.'

But perhaps the biggest motivation for the disabled TV star comes from his family. He revealed his singer wife Linda recently told their five-year-old son Bolla that his dad was heading into the jungle – and was immediately concerned about how he would manage one of the show's most iconic challenges, Celebrity Cyclone.

The couple also share baby daughter Zayla, who was born last year.

'He'd [Bolla] watched it. And he's like, 'How's Daddy going to do it?' Adepitan recalled.

For the gold medal winner, that question has become a driving force behind his appearance. 'I want this opportunity to show people that so many things are possible. I want my my son to be proud and to see that daddy's going to give it a go and he's going to find a way and having said that I'm going to have to find a way to stay in long enough to do Cyclone, so I can say to my son, it can be done.'

ITV producers have spent nine months transforming the camp to ensure it is fully accessible for Adepitan - installing rest areas, wheelchair bays, crutch holders and making a host of bespoke adaptations.

Productive conversations with Adepitan about joining the 2026 series started last year.

Adepitan was later flown to Australia with producers back in February to advise on how they could create a camp that met his needs.

'It's sometimes hard to comprehend or even think about it. It can be quite overwhelming to think I'm going to be the first person to do this in a wheelchair and it'll be the first time the public will see someone like me in this kind of situation and potentially the impact it could have is massive,' Adepitan shared, adding: 'I feel proud that I'm getting this opportunity, and thankful for it.

'It's this whole situation, everything that's gone and surrounded this whole process for me is surreal. I kind of pinch myself every five, ten minutes and just to make sure that it's happening. I'm this kid who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, grew up in the east end of London in Plaston, one of the poorest boroughs in the country, didn't go to uni, didn't really set out to work in TV, and now here I am.'

Across the new campsite, Adepitan has three wheelchairs and three sets of crutches.

He has a further two wheelchairs - one at the trial area, and an electric one for tougher terrain like beaches.

Elsewhere, the angles of the steps have been changed to make it easier for his crutches. All of the paths have been widened, while water coolers have been lowered for him.

Plus new areas have been installed for resting along the path from camp to the creek.

And instead of the famous treehouse, they have introduced the swing area, which is accessible for Adepitan.

'We have put rest areas in, wheelchair bays, and holders for Ade's crutches. Everything has been adapted, almost bespoke to his needs. It has been an education for us because his needs are bespoke to him, they are not the same needs as everyone with disabilities, everyone is different and that has been a real eye opener. It has been very collaborative,' an executive producer told the Daily Mail.

Another new feature for Adepitan is a stair lift which takes him to the famous jungle shower.

And whether he is voted off or crowned King of the Jungle, Adepitan will make his exit via the iconic bridge walkway, with the decision of whether to use his wheelchair or crutches left entirely up to him.