CROCKED Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall was gutted to have to pull out of last year’s I’m A Celeb due to a knee injury.
But he would have stayed in the UK again had his 11-year-old daughter Sienna asked him to do so.
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Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall would have stayed in the UK if his daughter Sienna asked him toCredit: Australia Media
Actor Alan had to pull out of last year’s I’m A Celeb due to a knee injuryCredit: Australia Media
Doting single dad Alan, 42, says Sienna was worried about spending so much time apart from him that she only gave her blessing in recent weeks.
They have never spent more than two weeks apart - until now.
Alan said: “If Sienna had said, ‘Dad, don’t go’, I don’t think I would do it if I’m brutally honest.
“It was much, much harder than I thought and I fully appreciate that it’s a couple of weeks away but to Sienna, at her age, I’m on the other side of the world - she doesn’t get to see me and speak to me on the phone and stuff.
“I’m a single parent as well, so when I’m with Sienna it is me and her.
“I think once I get on screen, hopefully she can watch it with a smile on her face and have a good laugh at Dad, and hopefully Dad doesn’t embarrass her too much.”
Alan, who has played Tyrone Dobbs on the cobbles since 1998, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and has been in recovery for the past year.
“There was no way I could have come out here in the state that my knee was in. I was gutted to not be part of the show.
“But having spoken with people at the show, I kind of hoped that there might be another year that I could come and enjoy this experience.
Coronation Street's Alan Halsall gives fans huge health update after undergoing major surgery
“It’s come around a bit quicker than I probably expected, but here I am. I don’t feel like I’ve missed out too much. I’m excited to go this year.
“I’m much better. I’m one year on post-operation now, so I’m doing all right with it at the moment.”
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Alan, who is 5ft 6in tall, joked: “I just wish they had lengthened my legs a little bit while I was in there, but they never did so never mind.”
His dodgy knee will not be helping him swerve any trials, however.
He has been given the once-over by producers and they say he should be fit enough to get stuck into all of them - even the Celebrity Cyclone, if he reaches the final.
Alan said: “Yeah, I think I would be able to (do the Cyclone). Maybe I’d have to pick star one, just out of safety.
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“But yeah, there’s not too many of the trials that I’m worried about and obviously the production knows about my knee injury and stuff like that.”
I'm A Celeb producers have said Alan will be fit enough to do all of the trials in this year's jungleCredit: ITV
I'm A Celebrity 2024
As the hit ITV show enters into its 24th series, a brand new batch of famous faces look set to enter the Aussie jungle once again to face terrifying Bushtucker Trials and living amongst the critters in camp in order to come out on top and be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars heading Down Under this year...
Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name heading into the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney, will be making a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to head into the camp this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever.
Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge looks set to be making a triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal.
Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he will be hoping to become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities when he gets into camp.
Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. He has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle.
GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brand such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers.
Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs, Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live.
Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She origianlly found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice.
Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle, after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice, along with bandmate Tom. A jungle insider said: "As well as bringing some of the star appeal of the group with him, he'll be supplying some serious guy candy for the campmates and viewers at home."
Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard. Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year.
Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist will be braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband. It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past.
Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry will become the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to breast cancer. He told : "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache."
Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is set for I’m A Celebrity — and is ready to let rip at his old employer. The former Communards and Strictly star, 62, said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year.An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth."
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