Ade Adepitan acknowledges that a long career in television often leads to unexpected places. The 53-year-old presenter admits that after spending enough time in the industry, it is almost inevitable to end up in the jungle, eating animal parts with Ant and Dec watching. He is now set to join the latest season of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, marking a significant moment as the show’s first wheelchair-using contestant. And he’s ready to cause a stir, paralympic medallist and TV presenter Ade Adepitan is in the building.
His casting has triggered intense debate online, with some users making ableist comments and accusing the production of giving him an unfair advantage. Others have argued that a disabled person should not be on a prime-time reality show at all, dismissing his presence as a mere box-ticking exercise. Adepitan, who contracted polio as an infant in Lagos and later became an accomplished wheelchair basketball player, notes that such reactions highlight deep-seated societal issues. He contracted polio as an infant; an accomplished wheelchair basketball player, he has since moved into TV presenting, largely covering sport as well as the natural world and the climate crisis, born in Lagos. He notes with a smile, there are people with extreme views on what it means to be disabled and taking part in a reality show. 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. There was such power in seeing someone in a similar situation refusing to be hidden away.
Addressing the notion of an advantage, Adepitan explains that living with a disability is comparable to starting a marathon five miles behind everyone else. Having been a wheelchair user for most of his life, he has long carried the weight of being visible in a world not designed for his needs. His childhood experience of wearing callipers and drawing stares taught him the necessity of shifting public perspectives from a young age. Setting foot in school as a child in callipers meant “I had all eyeballs on me”. Had his childhood self seen someone like him in the mainstream, Adepitan wonders what that would have done for his self-esteem.
To ensure his participation was feasible, Adepitan worked closely with producers to audit the jungle camp. They identified challenges regarding steep terrain, narrow pathways, and the logistics of transferring out of his chair. Consequently, he will utilize various mobility aids, including specialized wheelchairs and crutches. He views these accommodations as basic problem-solving, much like his daily experiences navigating London’s often inaccessible transit infrastructure. He cycles from acerbically funny to a kind of charismatic vulnerability when detailing his experiences as a disabled man of colour. And yes, he has felt like an outsider as a result.
Adepitan reflects on how the public perception of disability has evolved, noting that progress remains slow.
He recalls a time when taxi drivers would refuse to stop for him, forcing him to hide around corners and use his friends as bait just to secure a ride. Even today, he faces regular instances of being stranded, sometimes leading to legal action against drivers who refuse to accommodate his wheelchair. Despite these hurdles, he maintains a candid and humorous demeanor, frequently pointing out the absurdity of systemic barriers. 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.
When questioned about his fears regarding the infamous Bushtucker Trials, Adepitan jokingly refuses to disclose them. He worries that revealing his specific phobias will only provide the producers with more ammunition for the challenges. He also dismisses the idea that his athletic background will help him with the show, quipping that his basketball skills do little to prepare him for being trapped in a box of rats or having snakes placed near his body. Celebrity Infested Waters brought him to the attention of I’m a Celebrity’s producers. 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. Why am I going to tell you my fears. 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. It’s been suggested that a background as an athlete will stand him in good stead for the show – something he roundly rejects. “Mate … who has trained to be chucked in a boxful of rats or eat a cow’s udder. He describes himself as having the skills to shoot basketball hoops, “not to have a snake wrapped around my nether regions. There’s something of the Del Boy about him as he details his routine to flag down a cab: “They would hail it down then I would appear from nowhere and leap into the back.
Beyond the competition, Adepitan is driven by a desire to spark meaningful conversations about disability. He believes society has been conditioned to feel shame toward disabled people, a sentiment he hopes to challenge by remaining visible and authentic. He views his appearance on the show as a way to honor the sacrifices his parents made for him, expressing a wish to make them proud. He says, are something that can be shown as having been “worth it”, their sacrifices.
Ultimately, Adepitan emphasizes that it is not the wheelchair that defines his disability, but the societal barriers he encounters daily. He sees his participation as an opportunity to push back against the feeling that people with disabilities are treated as scapegoats when social tensions rise. I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! premieres this Sunday at 6pm on ITV1. 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. When things get tougher, we are one of those groups that are going to be the scapegoats.”, and it can turn just as quickly: “When things go wrong in society.
