Richard Madeley has officially left I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! following a medical incident overnight.
The 65-year-old was rushed to hospital just before 6am after suddenly falling ill in what the Welsh Ambulance Service described as a "medical emergency".
In a statement, Madeley confirmed that he would not be returning to the show's Gwrych Castle home, despite now feeling well, as he had exited the coronavirus bubble formed by him and his fellow campmates.
"Hello all! Richard here – firstly just to say that I'm absolutely FINE. I started to feel briefly unwell in the small hours of the morning and was taken to hospital as a precaution," he said.
"By leaving the camp, I had consequently broken the Covid 'bubble' and as such I've had to leave the castle and all the wonderful celebs that remain in the camp.
"Obviously I'm gutted to be leaving so soon but the safety of all the campmates is the number one priority. I'm incredibly excited to watch their journey continue...even more so at the prospect of being somewhere a little warmer than Gwrych Castle.
"Thank you to everyone who supported me on my brief but completely unforgettable adventure – I've made some great friends and honestly had the time of my life."
An ITV spokesperson said: "Our strict Covid protocols means Richard has sadly had to leave the show as he is no longer in the bubble the celebrities form when entering the castle.
"He has been a truly brilliant camp mate and we thank him for being part of this series."
Madeley's exit will play out in tonight's episode of I'm A Celebrity at 9pm on ITV.
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