Love Island's Molly-Mae Hague declared "the series has begun" as her co-star Maura Higgins finally entered I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! on Thursday.

Molly-Mae, 25, expressed her excitement at her pal's arrival in a savage Instagram post, writing the four words alongside a picture of Maura, 33, on the ITV show.

Both reality stars shot to fame during Love Island in 2019, initially vying for heavyweight hunk Tommy Fury's heart. While Maura clinched fourth place with Curtis Pritchard, Molly-Mae secured second place alongside Tommy, and the duo later delighted fans by introducing their baby Bambi last year.

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The couple parted ways this August after a five-year romance. Molly informed followers through Instagram about the end of their relationship and chose not to divulge further details publicly.

There had been murmurs of Tommy making an appearance in this year’s I'm A Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!, reports OK!. An insider was left gobsmacked by his sudden decision to drop out, telling The Sun : "Bosses are surprised Tommy has pulled out of I'm A Celebrity at this late stage as it would have been a great opportunity for him.

"Thankfully, execs already had some great names waiting in the wings so they'll be looking at which ones fit best into the line-up already booked so they can deliver a truly great series."

Maura Higgins made her entrance on I'm A Celebrity during Thursday night's episode, joining Reverend Richard Coles in the Jungle Junkyard. There could be tension in the air as she's poised for an uneasy catch-up with Barry McGuigan, having previously dated his son Shane McGuigan.

Before becoming a household name on ITV, Maura and Shane were an item for a year, their paths crossing when she was working as a ring girl and he was ringside commentating. Following in his father's footsteps, 36-year-old Shane is now a respected boxing coach with his own gym in South West London, having trained seasoned fighters like Chantelle Cameron, George Groves, Carl Frampton and Lee McGregor.

A source revealed to The Sun: "Maura has brains and beauty, and she quickly caught Shane's eye." Maura and Shane's romance was reportedly short-lived due to their hectic schedules and distance between them. According to the Express, a source revealed: "They went on a few dates and had fun, but Maura lives in Ireland, Shane is running his successful boxing gym in London, and then she was travelling for work so it wasn't easy to pull off," adding: "There were no hard feelings when it ended. It turned out to be short lived and the spark fizzled out."

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