Lisa Riley’s name is being dropped into the mix as one of the possible contenders for this year’s series of I’m A Celebrity. A soap star traditionally takes part in the show every year

A soap star is said to be in talks for I’m A Celebrity(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Emmerdale favourite Lisa Riley is being lined up to swap the Dales for the Australian jungle later this year, with reports suggesting she is in advanced talks to take part in the next series of I’m A Celebrity.

Riley, 49, is best known for playing Mandy Dingle in the ITV soap, which is a role that she first took on in 1995. Over the last three decades she has been at the heart of some of Emmerdale ’s most dramatic storylines and won the hearts of viewers.

While she left the soap in 2001 to pursue other projects including Fat Friends, Waterloo Road, and Loose Women, she made a triumphant return to Emmerdale in 2019.

Lisa Riley has reportedly started talks for the show(Image: Getty Images)

Now, producers of I’m A Celebrity are said to be eyeing her up as one of the first names for the 2025 series. A TV insider told The Sun : “Lisa is the perfect celebrity for the show because not only is she from a soap watched by millions she’s one of its biggest characters and it’s an ITV show to boot.

“She also has a naughty, mischievous sense of humour which is guaranteed to get a big response from her other celebrity campmates during their time in the jungle. Lisa is by no means the first star from Emmerdale to have gone on I’m a Celebrity and those that do always tend to get a great response from viewers at home.”

So far, eight Emmerdale stars have entered the jungle since the show launched in 2002, including Lucy Pargeter, Adam Thomas and Gemma Atkinson. Former cast member Danny Miller even went on to win the show in 2021.

Riley herself has expressed an interest in taking part in the reality show for a while now. Earlier this year, she said: “I’m A Celebrity…is something I would do before I turned 50 as a test for myself.”

However, she admitted to having some concerns over the more daunting trials, confessing that she could handle eating challenges but adding: “I could never ever do the mice and the rat box.”

Her potential signing would follow the tradition of soap stars taking part in the ITV jungle hit. Coronation Street actors have been regulars on the series alongside Emmerdale alumni.

Antony Cotton competed in 2011, while Helen Flanagan became infamous in 2012 for being voted to face seven consecutive Bushtucker Trials.

Most recently, Jennie McAlpine (Fiz Dobbs) entered the jungle in 2017. Speculation is also currently mounting that Corrie star Adam Hussain could join the 2025 line-up after quitting the cobbles earlier this year.

The Mirror have contacted ITV for comment.

Meanwhile, when it comes to life in the Dales, soap fans are worried that Riley’s character Mandy Dingle might be in danger, as the actress recently posted a photo from the set of Emmerdale featuring a body double. One fan expressed their concerns on social media, writing: “Not good if there’s a stunt woman, it means Mandy is in trouble.”