The 2024 series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! is underway, after premiering on Sunday, November 17. This year’s cast includes some big names from the UK, including Colleen Rooney and Maura Higgins. So far, the biggest breakout star of this season is Grace Eleanor Keeling, aka GK Barry. The 25-year-old is winning viewers over with her sense of humor and sparkling personality. She’s also a more formidable opponent than her fellow celebs may have realized. Here’s everything you need to know about the I’m a Celeb fan favorite.
GK Barry is a popular social media influencer
In 2020, amidst the pandemic, GK rose to fame on TikTok. At the time, she was attending Nottingham Trent University. She now has 3.7 million followers on the social media app. Before finding success on TikTok, GK was already involved in the industry. She studied film at university. During her time at NTU, she worked on the set of BBC soap opera Doctors and assisted with a Netflix production.
Her TikTok fame led to a podcast, titled Saving Grace in April 2022. Previous guests include Scheana Shay, Katie Price, and Gemma Collins. She also interviewed Zara McDermott, who was rumored for I’m a Celeb 2024. Saving Grace’s YouTube channel has almost half a million subscribers. The podcast’s popularity lead to two UK tours.
Before she went to the jungle, GK used her podcast to admit her hesitations. “I’m someone who’s terrified of everything,” she admitted. “I hate animals…why the f*ck am I going to Australia?” However, her excitement was also clear. In fact, she admitted that she was considered for I’m a Celeb 2023, and cried when she didn’t make the cut.
GK Barry is becoming a British TV staple
While she may not be instantly recognizable to some viewers, GK’s TikTok fame led to numerous appearances on popular UK shows. She’s currently the youngest panelist on ITV’s Loose Women. Last year, she appeared as a guest on Love Island Aftersun and was a contestant on The Weakest Link. In 2024, she competed on CelebAbility and The Wheel.
She also appeared in the 2023 Channel 4 special Don’t Look Down for Stand Up To Cancer. The five-episode series may have prepared her for the jungle feats of I’m a Celeb. GK was one of the celebs trained in high-wire walking in The Alps. The celebrities then took part in a high-wire walk for Stand Up To Cancer.
GK Barry is I’m a Celeb’s scream queen
We know how much reality TV fans love a good scream queen. In GK’s case, her screams may have been why she was sent to the first trial of the season. During the Bush Tucker Vile Volcano trial, her reactions were so intense, hosting duo Ant and Dec joked about how much they’d have to bleep out.
Love them or hate them, GK’s screams aren’t the only reason she’s I’m a Celeb 2024’s standout. Her lack of filter leads to shocking moments, like taking a crack at Ant and Dec’s height. But don’t count her out as just comic relief. Her success in the Bush Tucker trial proves she’s a more formidable contestant than many assumed.
Like her fellow I’m a Celeb 2024 contestants, GK has shared some vulnerable stories. In a recent episode, she spoke about her experiences with internet trolls. She’s shared several vulnerable moments with Jane Moore, who is also a Loose Women panelist.
Who is GK Barry dating?
The influencer is currently in a relationship with Ipswich Town footballer Ella Rutherford. At first, she kept her girlfriend’s identity under wraps. Ella confirmed their relationship in August by posting a birthday tribute to GK on Instagram stories.
GK spoke about their relationship on I’m a Celeb. She shared how she met her girlfriend, and how she came out to her parents. “It was by accident I found Ella, through a mutual friend,” she told her fellow contestants, “I really liked her the first day I met her but I’d never told my parents.” One day, when her parents asked who Ella was, GK casually said, “Oh, she’s my girlfriend.” As for her parents’ reaction to her coming out, “They just love her, they never had an issue with it.” She also joked that, before coming out, “I feel like the closet may have been glass!”
Before this season of I’m a Celeb began, Ella posted a couple of photos to cheer GK on. “My little jungle babe,” she captioned the pic, which appeared to be from the set of I’m a Celeb’s promo shoot, adding, “LFG.”
TELL US – ARE YOU WATCHING I’M A CELEB 2024? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF GK BARRY ON THE SHOW SO FAR?
