I'm a Celeb viewers predict Maura Higgins will have 'awkward' reunion with jungle campmate
Maura Higgins, who has just joined I'm a Celebrity as a late arrival, previously dated Barry McGuigan's son Shane. Viewers think the pair will address the relationship on the show
I'm a Celebrity fans believe newcomer Maura Higgins will have an "awkward" reunion with a fellow campmate.
The former Love Island star, 33, made her late arrival into the Australian jungle alongside Reverend Richard Coles on Thursday night. As part of their late arrival, the pair were assigned the challenge to convince their fellow campmates that life in the Jungle Junkyard is really tough - despite having been assigned luxury accommodation, unbeknownst to other celebrities.
For now, Maura and Reverend Coles will stay mostly separate from the other stars, except while taking part in challenges with them, but viewers are now preparing for what could be an awkward encounter between the former Islander and fellow campmate Barry McGuigan. Before appearing on Love Island in 2019, Maura was romantically involved with Barry's son Shane.
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The former couple first met in 2018 at a David Haye vs Tony Bellew boxing rematch where Maura was working as a ring girl and Shane was commentating for a radio show. The pair reportedly dated for a couple of years before breaking up, as they found it difficult to continue their relationship since Maura was living in Ireland at the time and Shane was in London.
While it's unclear whether Maura met her ex's father Barry at all, viewers think they will address the relationship on the show. Shane, who has followed in his father's footsteps and now works as a boxing coach in London, is engaged to singer-songwriter Taylor West - and they have two sons, Finley and Calean, who were born in 2023 and 2024.
Shane is one of four children that Barry and his wife Sandra have shared, as well as sons Jake and Blain and their late daughter Danika. Known affectionately as 'Nika', Danika died aged just 33 in July 2019, one month after being diagnosed with colon cancer. She had been diagnosed with acute lymphoid leukaemia when she was just 11 years old, undergoing two years of treatment, but recovered to become an actress and star alongside Hollywood actors including Rooney Mara and Jack Reynor.
However, her cancer returned and her life was tragically cut short, leaving McGuigan and the rest of her family "devastated". The former British and European champion boxer opened up about how the tragedy has affected him soon after arriving in the I'm a Celebrity jungle and was overcome with emotion as he burst into tears talking about his daughter.
"It was hard for weeks in the hospital, just watching, shocking," he said as he spoke about Danika's second bout of cancer, before adding that she had "pains in her tummy but she was making a movie. She put it off and went to the doctor, called us all in. Stage 4 bowel cancer, 5 weeks, 5 weeks she died."
As Barry became emotional and broke down in tears, all the campmates rallied around to console him, with Danny Jones and Tulisa Contostavlos giving him a hug. Barry said: "Thank you, you're all so lovely, I really appreciate it."
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