As the buzz builds around this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, all eyes are on social media sensation AngryGinge—real name Morgan Burtwistle—who’s tipped as the frontrunner to claim the crown. But beneath the hype, the 25-year-old is grappling with mounting pressure to deliver must-watch TV moments for ITV viewers, while battling a deep-seated fear of “imposter syndrome” that could unravel him in the jungle.
In a candid chat with the Daily Mail, Morgan opened up about the weight of expectations. “I saw comments, even on the plane here saying, ‘Ginge and Aitch are going to…’ It adds a little bit of pressure because you want to entertain anyway,” he confessed. Close pals with rapper Aitch (whose real name is Harrison Armstrong), Morgan is determined to shine, no matter the chaos in camp. “No matter what goes on in that camp, I want to make it good TV for the people watching. So there’s a little bit of pressure.”
But his biggest nerves? Stepping into a lineup of bona fide stars like Alex Scott, 41, Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley, 49, and comedy legend Ruby Wax, 72. “I think the main one I’m nervous about is meeting the rest of the cast just because I’ve never classed myself as a celebrity,” Morgan admitted. “So going up and meeting other people that actually are celebrities, that’s quite nerve-wracking in itself. Because obviously growing up seeing them on TV and stuff like that. I’ve got a feeling I might get a little bit of imposter syndrome.”
To arm himself for the jungle trials, Morgan turned to last year’s runner-up, Coleen Rooney, for insider wisdom. As a devoted Manchester United fan and friend of her husband, Wayne Rooney (who was rumored to join this series himself), Morgan got the green light from the football icon. “Wayne was buzzing when I told him I was up for it. He said he can’t wait and he’ll be voting for me to do trials as well. So at least I know I’ve got the backing of them to make me do trials,” he shared with a grin.
Coleen, 39—who narrowly missed the top spot to McFly’s Danny Jones—dished out practical tips to help him thrive. She warned him to cut back on caffeine a month in advance and shared a sneaky hack: empty your water bottle during trials so production refills it, avoiding the “smokey” camp water. These golden nuggets could be the edge Morgan needs in the grueling Bushtucker challenges.
With five million followers across platforms, Morgan’s rise from his Salford bedroom to jungle fame is nothing short of meteoric. He’s pocketed an estimated £1 million through Twitch livestreams, where he chats football, reacts to trends, and keeps fans hooked for hours. “I’m more happy to give my voice a little bit of a rest for a couple of weeks. Because normally I’m streaming for six to nine hours, which is constant talking,” he laughed.
ITV snapped him up to lure in Gen Z viewers, echoing the breakout success of last year’s social media darling GK Barry, now a Loose Women host. Could Morgan follow suit into mainstream TV? He didn’t rule it out but emphasized his roots: “I’ll always stay loyal. I’ve always lived my life with the saying, ‘Never forget where you came from.’ So no matter how this goes, I’ll never forget where I came from and I’ll always stay loyal to Twitch.”
Beyond the glitz, Morgan’s journey is grounded in humility. Buddies with darts prodigy Luke Littler, he aims to shatter stereotypes for older audiences who might dismiss him based on viral clips. “For the older audience that don’t necessarily watch me stream, and they just see clips and they might think, ‘Oh, he’s a bit of a d**k’, which is fair enough, at least now if they do watch this they can actually see me for a bit longer than a 30-second clip.”
Raised in a single-parent home with his sister and mum on just £12,500 a year, Morgan moved out at 17 to ease the burden. Holidays? A rarity. “The only time I’ve left recently was for a charity match in Qatar. I filmed a video in Monaco last year. The last time I actually went away for a holiday was 2018 for my uncle’s wedding.”
As Morgan steps into the spotlight, Coleen’s warnings and his own vulnerabilities lay bare the raw reality of fame. Will he conquer the jungle—or will imposter syndrome strike? One thing’s for sure: this star’s story is set to captivate, proving that even online sensations have fears worth facing.