Who is Barry McGuigan? I'm a Celebrity 2024 contestant and boxing champion

One person ready to give it his all in the Bushtucker Trials is Barry McGuigan. But who is he? Keep reading to learn everything there is to know about the potential new King of the Jungle.

Who is Barry McGuigan?

Age: 63

Job: Former professional boxer

Instagram: None

McGuigan is a former professional Irish boxer, nicknamed the Clones Cyclone, and he held the WBA and lineal featherweight titles from 1985 to 1986. He was a beloved figure in the 1980s for his boxing prowess and uniting fans of the sport in Ireland during a tense political period.

After retiring from boxing, McGuigan continued to be active in the sport as a promoter and trainer, founding Cyclone Promotions and guiding the career of up and coming boxers like Carl Frampton.

Phobias: "I don’t exactly enjoy hanging out with rats and snakes and spiders... but I don’t have a phobia of any of them."

Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle: "I think most people know me as a good fighter, a decent person, garrulous at times - in a jovial way, I’d like to think. I’m a decent guy."

Dream camper: "My wife! She knows me and we would bump along very well. She’s an amazing girl. If you’re going to encounter problems and issues, she is phenomenal. We’re 43 years married and I’m still madly in love with her."

What has Barry McGuigan said about joining I'm a Celebrity 2024?

The former Boxing Champion is no stranger to taking on tough challenges and he's excited about every aspect of camp life.

He told ITV: “It can be physically arduous, but it’s the psychological part of it that I want to conquer before I get too old,” Barry explains. “I’m 63 now. I’d like to think I’m a young 63, but that doesn’t mean it’ll make any of these challenges easy. I’d rather do it when I’m 63, than 73, put it that way.”

When asked how he will cope in the jungle, Barry said: “I’d like to do well. I’m not saying I’m going to win, but I’d like to be in there for a sustained amount of time so that I can get to know all of the guys in camp.”

But would he refuse any of the Bushtucker Trials? “I couldn’t refuse to do it," he confirmed. "Once you’ve made the decision to get into I’m a Celebrity, you have to be willing to do everything."

He continued: "It might be disgusting and you might be tired, but being a fighter and being dedicated and committed to training and getting ready for fights... you have to go through hell, physically as well as psychologically. So, I know what I’m letting myself in for."

I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! begins on Sunday 17th November at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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