Paralympic medallist and broadcaster Ade Adepitan is set to make history as the first wheelchair user to compete on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!. The 53-year-old’s casting has sparked a significant social media reaction, ranging from claims that the show is merely engaging in “box-ticking” to accusations of “cheating” because production adjustments were made to accommodate his access needs. And he’s ready to cause a stir, paralympic medallist and TV presenter Ade Adepitan is in the building.
Adepitan has spent much of his life navigating a world designed without people like him in mind. Born in Lagos and having contracted polio as an infant, he became a distinguished wheelchair basketball player before transitioning to a successful career in television, focusing on sport, the environment, and the climate crisis. His inclusion in the reality series followed his appearance on the show Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters. But Adepitan refuses to give in to the despair of a world built from barriers. Noted, this is what Ade doesn’t like!’”, he assumes an “airs and graces” type of voice: “And the people from I’m a Celebrity [will be] like: ‘Ohh. His previous experience as a contestant on Shark. Either: “It’s not like I’m gonna jump into the ocean and be like: ‘Oi, shark … that’s your pint mate, celebrity Infested Waters doesn’t necessarily mean he’s “good” with sharks. I know a few of your mates in the Bahamas. He describes himself as having the skills to shoot basketball hoops, “not to have a snake wrapped around my nether regions. It is the physical and emotional barriers a society has decided to choose that are the disablement.
To ensure he could participate safely in the Australian jungle, Adepitan toured the campsite with producers to provide advice on accessibility. Challenges such as rugged terrain and narrow paths mean he will utilize various mobility aids, including different wheelchairs and crutches. While some critics label these adaptations an “advantage,” Adepitan rejects this perspective, noting that having a disability often feels like being forced to start a marathon five miles behind the rest of the field. ‘If you spend enough time in the TV industry, at some point you’re going to end up in the jungle, eating animal genitalia, with Ant and Dec watching you!”. We’re back to a different serious conversation, and just as quickly.
For Adepitan, the jungle environment is not entirely unfamiliar; he compares the logistical challenges to his daily life in London, where he regularly faces obstacles like broken train station lifts or taxi drivers who refuse to pick him up. He notes that societal attitudes toward disability are often deeply ingrained, explaining, “It’s almost like society is ashamed of us and it’s almost brainwashed us into being ashamed of ourselves as well.” Or using the tube as a wheelchair user: “There’s a few more trees, a few more leeches, but it’s that kind of thinking and problem solving that we, as people with disabilities, have to do all our lives, being in the jungle is not so different to moving around his home city of London. In fact, London has been at the heart of the problems he has encountered: from broken lifts trapping him in train stations to black cabs refusing him a ride. Setting foot in school as a child in callipers meant “I had all eyeballs on me”. Constantly – because I’m old and I’ve been around for a long time, and we’ve watched and seen how the Paralympics have evolved and there’s more people with disabilities with [a] pro, and the nonsensical thing about it is. Where a driver eventually lost his job for such a refusal; Adepitan spoke out about the experience on an Instagram Reel, with many other people noting the exact same experience, another case saw him in court.
Despite the potential for hardship, Adepitan views the show as a platform to spark important conversations about disability representation. Growing up, seeing someone like him in the mainstream would have been transformative for his own self-esteem, he says, citing the inspiration he felt when he first met the late musician Ian Dury, who shared his disability and refused to stay out of the public eye. “I’ve carried that weight all my life knowing that I have to change people’s perspectives,” he says. And yes, he has felt like an outsider as a result.
When asked about the upcoming Bushtucker Trials, Adepitan maintains a humorous guard, refusing to disclose his specific fears to avoid giving the production team ammunition. Asking Adepitan what he is most scared of in the infamous trials gets a spectacularly comical response: “Hell no, I’m not telling you my fears. You write them down, i tell you my fears.
He dismisses the suggestion that his athletic background gives him a competitive edge, quipping, “Who has trained to be chucked in a boxful of rats or eat a cow’s udder? He laughs at the prospect of attempting to fist-bump a shark, noting that his basketball skills offer little help when dealing with wildlife or eating challenges.
Reflecting on his decades in the public eye, he acknowledges that while progress is slow, it is visible. He recalls his younger years when he had to hide around corners to hail taxis, only appearing once the driver stopped, or dangling his legs as “bait” to secure a ride. He has even pursued legal action against taxi companies that refused him service, sharing his experiences on social media to highlight that these issues remain persistent for many disabled individuals. He cycles from acerbically funny to a kind of charismatic vulnerability when detailing his experiences as a disabled man of colour. Taxi drivers wouldn’t even stop for him. “I would have to hide behind the corner, and dangle my good old-fashioned two-legged friends in front as bait, back in the day.
Ultimately, Adepitan is driven by a desire to make his parents proud and to pay forward the sacrifices they made for him. Whether facing leeches or complex terrain, he remains focused on the bigger picture. “When things go wrong in society, when things get tougher, we are one of those groups that are going to be the scapegoats,” he says, underscoring the importance of visibility. I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! premieres this Sunday at 6pm on ITV1. He says, are something that can be shown as having been “worth it”, their sacrifices.
