Emmerdales Lisa Riley Joins Im a Celebrity Series 25

Lisa Riley, the beloved Emmerdale actress known for her role as Mandy Dingle, has joined the cast of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! for its 25th series, set to premiere on ITV on Sunday, November 16, 2025, from the Australian jungle.

The 49-year-old star, who has portrayed the feisty Mandy on the ITV soap since 1995, first departing in 2001 and returning full-time in 2019, previously declined offers to appear on the reality show for seven consecutive years. Producers approached her annually, but her demanding filming schedule for Emmerdale always posed a barrier. "They ask me every year to go in," Riley said in a recent interview. "And who knows, I think I would be camp and fun and I would have a laugh! But they've asked me seven years in a row now."

This year, Riley cleared her commitments and jetted off to Australia with the rest of the lineup, trading the fictional Yorkshire Dales for the show's infamous trials involving insects and outdoor challenges. Her decision comes at a personal milestone: approaching her 50th birthday, marking 25 years since first playing Mandy, and celebrating a decade of sobriety. She also cited two recent tragedies as motivation, noting the...