Holly Willoughby’s new jungle-based Netflix show with Bear Grylls has confirmed its celebrity cast, with the likes of Mel B, Shirley Ballas and Boris Becker taking part.
Dropping on 5 February, Celebrity Bear Hunt will see the celebs sent into the Central American jungle and taught survival skills. In a twist, they will become “prey” for Grylls and will be hunted in what’s been described as a “brutal game of cat and mouse”.
Some big name stars are now confirmed for the challenge, making Willoughby’s new project even more of a must-see on the streaming service. So which celebs are taking it on? Here’s the confirmed cast list.
Mel B
Mel B will be reunited with Bear Grylls. (Netflix)
Mel B might have to rely on her “scary” side for the challenging new series. The Spice Girls singer – aka Scary Spice – is no shrinking violet but will she be a match for Grylls in the jungle?
She might have something of an ace up her sleeve as she previously got to know Grylls in his TV series Running Wild, where they spent time together in Wales and he taught her some of his survival techniques.
The episode of the show that she was in saw them tackling lots of challenging terrain together and, unforgettably, chart star Mel urinated on Grylls’ hand after he was stung by a jellyfish, which some people believe alleviates the pain.
Will she have learned enough from him to beat the expert at his own game?
Steph McGovern
Steph McGovern previously appeared on The Masked Singer. (Netflix)
Steph McGovern is taking on a fresh challenge after the end of her talk show Steph’s Packed Lunch. The show started in 2020 amid the coronavirus lockdowns but in 2023 it was announced that it was coming to an end, with Channel 4 explaining that audience habits were “changing quicker than ever” and that “difficult decisions” had to be made.
However, the journalist and former BBC Breakfast reporter has shown she’s nothing if not adaptable – she is still a regular on TV and has also shown she is up for a little reality TV, with a stint on The Masked Dancer under her belt.
Joe Thomas
Joe Thomas is best known for The Inbetweeners. (Netflix)
Joe Thomas is likely to bring some humour to the situation, although his survival skills are yet to be tested. The comedian and actor is best known for playing Simon Cooper in The Inbetweeners series and its spin-off films, racking up a huge fanbase for the hilarious role.
Since then he has popped up on the odd game show, like Taskmaster and Richard Osman’s House Of Games and he has also worked on the big screen in films including The Festival and We Are Not Alone.
However, he hasn’t been front and centre for a bit, and Celebrity Bear Hunt may well be the show to change all that.
Shirley Ballas
Shirley Ballas will keep Bear Grylls on his toes. (Netflix)
What does Shirley Ballas do in the Strictly off season? She goes on the run from Bear Grylls in the Costa Rican jungle.
Ballas is no slouch when it comes to taking on daring adventures. When she’s not perched on the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel, she’s taken on a fair few challenges like skydiving in aid of a suicide prevention charity and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief.
She’s also light on her feet from her career as a dancer, so Ballas could be one to watch.
Danny Cipriani
Danny Cipriani is confirmed for the cast. (Netflix)
Danny Cipriani found fame as a rugby player which could give him a bit of an edge as he is pitted against Grylls in the jungle. It would certainly make him one of the tougher celebs to tackle to the ground.
The show could prove to be timely for Cipriani, as recently there were reports that he was actually in the frame to be on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! However, that series came and went without him making an appearance.
He does have other reality TV experience, having got his waltz on for the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special 2023.
Boris Becker
Boris Becker is returning to the limelight. (Netflix)
Former tennis pro Boris Becker is making his return to the public eye as a contestant on Celebrity Bear Hunt.
Becker rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 90s and enjoyed a successful career as one of the world’s leading tennis players.
However, years later he was charged and ultimately jailed for tax evasion offences and eventually declared bankruptcy in 2017. After receiving a two-and-a-half-year sentence, Becker was released early in 2022.
Now, he’s back on TV for the Netflix series.
Leomie Anderson
Leomie Anderson joins the cast. (Netflix)
Model Leomie Anderson has walked in her fair share of Victoria’s Secret shows – but she’ll need to run in her latest project as she tries to escape Grylls.
Anderson will also be familiar to Glow Up viewers as she replaced Maya Jama as host for the 2023 series, and she has also been seen in Celebrity Gogglebox.
Lottie Moss
Lottie Moss takes on the Costa Rican jungle. (Netflix)
Kate Moss’s younger sister is also a star in her own right, having picked up plenty of modelling work herself after being spotted as a bridesmaid at the supermodel’s wedding.
She has now moved her career over to OnlyFans, but is about to get a more mainstream role in the Netflix series.
Big Zuu
Big Zuu will battle it out against Bear Grylls. (Netflix)
Rapper and singer Big Zuu, also known as Zuhair Hassan, has a parallel career as a TV chef and is famed for his Big Eats series.
How will he cope with the menu in the jungle? The star joins the cast of the first Celebrity Bear Hunt.
Una Healy
Una Healy is taking on a new challenge. (Netflix)
Former Saturdays singer Una Healy is stepping outside of her comfort zone with the tough physical challenge.
Healy has previously taken part in celebrity diving contest Splash! and in recent years has said she would be up for a reunion of The Saturdays, but for the moment survival is the main thing on her mind as she enters Bear Hunt.
Kola Bokinni
Kola Bokinni is back on reality TV. (Netflix)
Ted Lasso actor Kola Bokinni is no stranger to an adventure – last year, he was one of the popular stars of BBC’s Celebrity Race Across the World.
In the travel series Bokinni was teamed up with his cousin, but this time it’s every celebrity for themselves as he tries to survive the jungle.
Bokinni is sure to have picked up a tip or two about making the most of less-than-ideal conditions from his previous reality TV role.
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen completes the cast. (Netflix)
Interior designer, painter and TV star Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is usually known for his love of fancy outfits, so he might not be as immediately recognisable in his boilersuit.
The star had previously shrugged off I’m A Celebrity as not being for him, so we’re intrigued to see what it was about the super-tough Netflix show that managed to change his mind.
Celebrity Bear Hunt will debut on Netflix on 5 February