HOL OF A REMATCH
Noel Edmonds breaks silence over bitter feud with Holly Willoughby and says he wants a rematch on This Morning
NOEL Edmonds has broken his silence over his bitter feud with I'm A Celebrity host Holly Willoughby and insisted he wants a rematch on This Morning.
The 69-year-old star was the first campmate voted off the ITV show and has refuted claims of tension on set in Australia, after they locked horns live on air in 2016.
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The feud stemmed from Noel’s suggestion that cancer is caused by “negative energy”.
But asked by Piers Morgan about the row on Good Morning Britain today, Noel paused, before he said: "The truth of the matter is that I respect Holly as a broadcaster and Phil too.
"We had a spat on This Morning. I would love the opportunity to go on This Morning again and properly talk about the subject of the human body energy system.
"I never said electro-pulse therapy cured my cancer. I never said that. We got into one of those silly production squabbles. But there is no feud... I hugged Holly when I came out of camp."
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Piers replied: "Well I think the best thing is that you come on our programme and not This Morning to set the record straight."
His guest laughed awkwardly and added: "Yes."
A source told The Sun on Sunday Holly could not stand the Deal Or No Deal star's “chippy” attitude to her before he was evicted.
The telly veteran, who was the first to get the boot from this year’s series on Friday night, was said to be struggling to disguise his dislike of the popular presenter.
A source said: “Holly and Noel do not like each other and their bad blood goes right back to the This Morning interview. Holly was angry with Noel at the time and thought he was callous. And it’s no secret at all that she was shocked when he was signed for I’m A Celebrity.
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Holly thought Noel was 'callous' for his cancer comments
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“She has been very professional on the show but if you know her, you can see that she does not like him. She finds him patronising and feels uncomfortable around him.”
Noel also begged Piers "not to talk about the money" after he was paid £600,000 to star on I'm A Celebrity.
He admitted he was gutted to leave after just ten days but said he can't be bitter because he's made friends for life.
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He added: "I now have a lifetime friendship with Harry Redknapp. Every single person I met, I respected for one reason or another."
His £600,000 fee makes him the highest paid contestant yet.
But three days in, on November 24, he clashed with Holly as he tackled a bug-eating trial alongside footie legend Harry, 71.
Holly tried to encourage Noel, 69, by telling him: “Clear your mind.” But Noel snapped: “Clear your mind? How dare you!”
Noel Edmonds and Harry Redknapp try to hold insects in their mouths for 60 seconds in a disgusting Bushtucker Trial on I'm A Celebrity
Moments later she asked him: “What did that feel like in your mouth?” and he replied: “What do you think?”The frostiness continued until the end of Noel’s stint on the show when he was voted out by viewers on Friday.
As he left, he gave Holly’s co-host Declan Donnelly a warm, lingering hug while greeting her only briefly.
Their “bad blood” began in 2016 after Noel asked a cancer sufferer on Twitter if his disease could have been caused by “negative energy”.
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Nick Knowles and Noel Edmonds undertake Bushtucker Trial 'Catch A Falling Star' on I'm A Celebrity
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Holly Willoughby fails to hide her 'disdain' for Noel Edmonds as she recoils after he burps in front of her
The next day Holly and her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield quizzed him about his shocking views.
Holly, who is a prominent supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, asked him: “Would you ask that to a child who has cancer, if it’s about negative energy?”
Noel, who has beaten prostate cancer, snapped back: “I think you are missing the point here.”
He later described Holly and Phil as “aggressive, disrespectful and dishonest”.
Yesterday our source said: “Holly is an incredibly compassionate and loving person and that’s partly why she was — and is — so upset with the message Noel was putting out, which seemed callous.”
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Last night a source close to Holly said: “She does respect Noel and that’s why they had a hug when he came out.
"There was a clash but she has tried to move on.”
A spokesman for Noel said: “Yes, there was that incident on This Morning but Noel has a huge amount of respect for Holly and thinks she’s a great broadcaster and is doing a great job.”
Noel played up to his camp emperor role as he returned to the Versace Hotel after his early jungle exit.
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Noel is said to feel 'crushed and humiliated at being first out'
Noel Edmonds takes a rude swipe at Nick Knowles on I'm A Celebrity Extra Camp
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When he met friends and family, he raised his arm in the air, afterwards he saw the show shrink before showering.
He then had a three-hour lunch in a nearby hotel with wife Liz and her son.
But the insider said: “He feels crushed and humiliated at being first out."
Emperor Noel Edmonds enters the jungle camp as Harry Redknapp interrupts him in the Bush Telegraph room on I'm A Celebrity
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