Bury born actress Lisa Riley joins I’m A Celebrity for milestone 25th series

Monday, 10 November 2025 20:12

By Adam Clark

Actress Lisa Riley says milestone birthdays, personal achievements and the show’s landmark year convinced her to finally take part in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

After being approached several times before, Bury-born actress Lisa Riley will enter the jungle for the 25th series of the ITV reality show.

The 49-year-old actress, best known for playing Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale, said three major moments in her life led her to say yes: turning 50 next year, marking 30 years on and off in the soap, and celebrating ten years of sobriety.

“It feels like everything aligned,” she said. “It’s the right time to do it. It’s such a big anniversary for the show and for me personally.”

Lisa explained that the loss of her mother in 2012 and her best friend, former Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor, last year gave her the strength to take on the challenge. “Nothing can be as bad as losing them. Every day is a blessing, and I want to enjoy every moment,” she said.

Although excited, the actress admitted she is apprehensive about her fears of rats and the dark. She revealed she has been preparing by holding pet rats brought in by an Emmerdale colleague and practising walking around her home in the dark with her partner, Al.

She laughed about the practicalities of jungle life, saying she is “nervous about the outfit” but determined to embrace the experience.

Lisa, who describes herself as energetic and supportive, said she hopes to bring positivity and humour to camp. “I’ll always help people, but if someone is being unfair, my inner Mandy Dingle will come out,” she said.

She hopes to bond with her campmates through shared fun and even plans to create a “Broadway bench” where they can perform musical numbers together.

As for the diet, she said she is ready for a detox but expects to miss her daily black coffee . “We work long hours on set, and I’ll really miss that caffeine hit,” she admitted. “But I’ll tackle everything head-on and just want to have a scream.”

Lisa also became emotional when asked what it would mean to win. “For my family, it would mean everything,” she said. “It’s the biggest show on television. Even just making it to the jungle pub or doing the cyclone would be amazing.”

Her Emmerdale colleagues have been fully supportive, she added, assuring fans that Mandy Dingle will return to screens. “Everyone at Emmerdale has been lovely. Danny Miller (who won the series in 2021) told me to just be myself,” she said.

Lisa joins a line-up celebrating the programme’s 25th anniversary, filmed once again in Australia, where contestants will face a mix of physical challenges, endurance trials and unpredictable wildlife.