Aitch and Shona McGarty have been causing jungle gossip from Murwillumbah, Australia, on ITV’s “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” after the Manchester MC confided to campmate Angry Ginge that he has a “soft spot” for the former “EastEnders” actor in Friday night’s episode. The confession had tongues wagging in camp — and online — as viewers wondered whether a romance was striking, Nov. 21, 2025.
Aitch chats with Shona McGarty by the campfire. The scene between Aitch and Shona McGarty played out quietly by the campfire, where 25-year-old rapped told Morgan “Angry Ginge” Burtwistle he has a soft spot for his friend, the soap actor. Arriving later were latecomers Vogue Williams and Tom Read Wilson, who joked that the two “would be a beautiful pair,” commenting on their shared blue eyes and love of music.
Just before the flirty chat, McGarty (alongside Martin Kemp, Jack Osbourne, and Alex Scott) had endured the “Dreaded Dunnies” Bushtucker Trial, in which the foursome were locked into makeshift toilet cages inundated with bugs. The team collected all 12 stars, scoring an ostrich egg dinner and a bunch of popcorn treats that, for just a moment, made camp feel almost luxurious.
In earlier episodes, McGarty has married slapstick and steel, from clambering free of a creek with Kelly Brook and Alex Scott after seeing leeches in the water to contributing to the diffusing of the potato-gate kitchen row that rumbled through camp. And viewers accusing her of getting a “rough deal” in terms of air time have feared she could be the first celeb voted out.
Off-screen, McGarty has revealed a “horrible” five-year battle with depression and anxiety, stating that therapy and medication ultimately helped her take charge again. Reports ahead of the series had suggested that her signing up for the jungle was a defiant act of recovery and self-belief following her break-up with guitarist David Bracken, with her family describing it as brave.
Best known for her 16-year role as Whitney Dean in “EastEnders”, McGarty joined the soap in 2008 and exited in 2024 after more than 1,000 episodes, during which she faced a string of traumatic storylines. She later said she had wanted to “spread [her] wings” and pursue new projects, looking back on her exit during a 2024 interview about leaving the show.
Her journey mirrors that of other Albert Square graduates who have shone in the jungle. Ex-co-star Jacqueline Jossa used last year’s series to transform her image away from that of a Wednesday wannabe (and later was named Queen of the Jungle, as coverage noted at the time), which only heightens interest in Aitch and Shona McGarty this year.
It all adds to a whirlwind ascent for Aitch, who has been increasingly aware of his feelings toward McGarty, too. The Manchester-born rapper (real name Harrison Armstrong) first cracked the mainstream with viral track “Straight Rhymez” and, he told The Guardian in a later interview, was able to be something of an anomaly by not “trying to be anything [he’s] not” even as his chart success took off.
That momentum continued with the 2022 album “Close to Home”, one review suggesting it finally staked his claim in the mainstream, and this year’s follow-up, “4,” a punchier celebration of his hometown, Manchester. A recent business-like profile suggested his I’m A Celebrity stint is just a shrewd way to expand his fan base and reboot his image.
Viewers have also seen a softer side of the rapper. At camp, Aitch has reportedly displayed a photo of his twin sisters, Gracie and Hattie, and told campmates that Gracie has Down syndrome. Raising awareness of families like his—an extension of his work with the Down Syndrome Association and his song “My G”—was one reason he joined the reality show.
Collectively, the backstory of Aitch and Shona McGarty makes their campfire time feel like more than a throwaway flirt. There’s still no sign of an official jungle romance, but the sweet “soft spot” reveal has given fans of I’m A Celebrity a relationship to follow this year while they watch each night’s instalment from down the Australian jungle.
