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ITV are reportedly in 'advanced talks' to sign Mariella Frostrup for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! after Jesy Nelson was forced to pull out.
The former Little Mix star, 35, is said to have backed out of her six-figure deal with a 'heavy heart' just weeks before the series launch, to take care of her daughters, amid their battle with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1.
Now Loose Women star Mariella, 63, who was once said to be dating Hollywood star George Clooney, could be heading Down Under.
A TV insider told The Sun: 'This is a really prestige signing for I'm A Celebrity and it's fair to say she isn't the sort of character you necessarily expect to see heading into camp.
'With a career in broadcasting and journalism she's likely to have a wealth of anecdotes to share with her campmates.'
Daily Mail have contacted ITV and Mariella's representatives for comment.
ITV are reportedly in 'advanced talks' to sign Mariella Frostrup for I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! after Jesy Nelson was forced to pull out
The former Little Mix star, 35, is said to have backed out of her six-figure deal just weeks before the series launch, to take care of her daughters, amid their battle with (SMA) type 1
Mariella started out in music PR and helped to organise the publicity for Live Aid in 1985 before going into TV presenting and journalism.
The TV star has interviewed the likes of George Michael, Paul McCartney and Hillary Clinton, LuLu and more.
She tied the knot with Skids lead singer Richard Jobson in 1979, before splitting five year later.
Mariella went on to marry human rights lawyer Jason McCue in 2003 after meeting on a charity trek in Nepal. The pair went on to have two children.
Other Loose Women stars to go on I'm A Celeb have included Jane Moore, Myleene Klass, Stacey Solomon, Janet Street-Porter and Linda Robson.
Other stars in talks for next month's show include football's Wayne Rooney, Big Brother host AJ Odudu, Love Island's Chloe Burrows and Gavin & Stacey actress Joanna Page.
It comes after Jesy reportedly 'pulled out of I'm A Celebrity to care for her twin daughters'.
New reports have claimed 'there is no way' Jesy would leave her children to go into the Australian jungle.
A source said: 'Jesy was so excited about joining I'm A Celebrity, mainly because it was giving her a platform to continue her campaigning for SMA.'
'It's with a very heavy heart she has pulled out. Ocean and Story are unwell and there is no way Jesy would leave them. Her family are her priority.
'ITV have been amazing and are supporting her all the way. The door will always be left open for Jesy', the source added to The Sun.
Now Loose Women star Mariella, 63, who was once said to be dating Hollywood star George Clooney, could be heading Down Under
The Daily Mail has approached ITV and Jesy's representatives for comment.
The Boyz hitmaker announced in January that her daughters Ocean and Story, who she shares with her ex Zion Foster, were diagnosed with SMA.
Jesy has been praised for helping to persuade the government to announce a national rollout to screen newborns for SMA.
Last month, Jesy unveiled her new relationship to the showbiz world by bringing her boyfriend Ben Davies as her date to the National Television Awards.
The singer had walked the red carpet solo earlier that evening -but it was only when the camera panned to her during the ceremony that there was a quick flash of her new man Ben sitting next to her.
He looked at her proudly when her documentary Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, was shortlisted for an NTA Award in the Authored Documentary category. Our Girls: The Southport Families won that category.
Jesy 'hard launched' her new relationship with her boyfriend Ben by sharing the first photo of him on her Instagram page at the end of August.
The singer has been dating Ben following her split from Zion and she posted a picture of him driving a Range Rover while holding her hand. Zion is also in a new relationship.
Ben was dressed in all black with his tattooed arms on display, while only Jesy's outstretched arm and hand was visible in the sweet image.
In her Amazon Prime documentary, Jesy spoke about her split with Zion in detail saying: 'It's a very traumatic thing that we've both been through.
'I think it's quite inevitable for things like this to happen to couples I don't think it's a shock that we've broken up...
'You'll either be a team or it'll tear you apart and unfortunately I feel that's what it's done to me and Zion.
'We still get on, there's not bad feeling. My main priority is them. I just want to be the best mum with the best energy and positivity possible...
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