Huge comedian reveals he turned down I’m a Celebrity after talks with bosses and insists he’ll never change his mind
LEIGH Francis has revealed he once turned down the chance to appear on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Comedian Leigh, 51, told fans that he was scouted by bosses one year to take part, but later decided not to take their offer.
And the Celebrity Juice star insisted he’ll never change his mind while addressing his Instagram followers on a live stream today.
Speaking from the Virgin Radio studios while listeners were being entertained with music, he noticed one comment from a fan asking about the jungle show.
Leigh replied: “No way. They did ask me, though. I took the meeting and they were nice people but I just don’t want to do it.”
Avid followers of Leigh, otherwise known as his comedy character Keith Lemon, will know that he was asked to take part in Big Brother too, back in 2006.
However, at the time he told his agent: “No chance! I’d rather rip me eyes out.”
Leigh was first discovered by television presenter Davina McCall – who spotted him when he was doing stand-up comedy.
Davina helped him get his first television role on Dom and Kirk’s Nite O’ Plenty, where he played Bobby Stark, a man who gives tips on how to win over the ladies.
The series aired on Paramount Television from January to July 1996.
His second television role was playing showbiz photographer Barry Gibson who featured on the early series of Channel 4‘s Popworld.
Francis also featured Barry, along with Keith Lemon and Avid Merrion in the series Whatever I Want, which aired late night on ITV in 2000.
Off the back of creating television characters Bobby Stark and Barry Gibson, Channel 4 handed Leigh £250,000 to produce a series, later called Bo Selecta! in 2002.
The series saw the star impersonate a number of celebrities with rubber face masks, along with the main, non-celebrity character, Avid Merrion.
The programme lasted for five series, airing between 2002 and 2006.
Following the axing of Bo’ Selecta!, Francis took one of the series characters, Keith Lemon, and created a brand new show, Keith Lemon’s Very Brilliant World Tour, which aired on ITV2 in April 2008.
The show was a success, and subsequently, he created another show featuring Keith – Celebrity Juice.
Since then, he has appeared on various shows including Keith Lemon’s LemonAid, The Keith Lemon Sketch Show and Keith Lemon: Coming In America.
In addition to this, the comedian has starred in a movie called Keith Lemon: The Film.
Away from the spotlight, the comedian has been married to wife Jill Carter since 2002.
The couple share two daughters, Matilda and Dolly and live together in North London.