ITV I'm A Celeb star GK Barry's real name revealed - and the reason she uses alias

GK Barry has touched down in Australia, poised to grace the jungle on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! The presenter is set to transform from a Gen Z favourite to a household name, but it appears that not everything is as familiar as it seems. Believe it or not, the internet influencer and podcast Saving Grace host, with half a million YouTube subscribers, doesn't go by her real name.

In an interview with Kiss FM this summer, Radio DJ Tatum McGreal queried GK, "Is your surname actually Barry? " To which the star divulged: "No it's my best mate's name. I'm a fake Barry."

During the interview, GK Barry, who boasts 3.6 million TikTok followers, humorously admitted: "I know, all my [...] contracts are to Grace Barry and I thought if you guys ever try and sue me it's not my name."

The true identity of GK Barry is indeed Grace Eleanor Keeling, with the 'K' in GK representing her authentic last name. This revelation surprised many fans, who expressed their astonishment on social media, reports the Mirror.

Responses ranged from shock - "No way! ! " - to speculative humour - "Imagine if they stopped being friends" and recognition - "The real Barry,” added another.

Whether she will reveal her real name to her fellow campmates in Australia remains a mystery, as fans eagerly anticipate the start of the show on Sunday 17th November. The social media sensation is set to star in the latest series of I'm A Celeb alongside notable figures such as Strictly's Oti Mabuse, Coronation Street's Alan Halsall, Loose Women's Jane Moore, boxing legend Barry McGuigan and Wagatha Christie herself, Coleen Rooney.

Prior to jetting off to Australia, Grace, who is dating Ipswich Town footballer Ella Rutherford, confessed that she would greatly miss her girlfriend while away. She expressed: "When you are missing home and all you want is your comfort people, then that will be hard if they are not there. But my girlfriend is also very excited for me and thinks I will do really well. I have got her a cardboard cut out of me so it's not when I am away."

Upon landing in Australia on Monday, GK humorously stated that she was just "here to go to a retreat, just one with nature." When asked if she had ever been camping before, she chuckled: "No, god forbid."

Her journey into the jungle was almost cancelled after show executives were reportedly in crisis talks following an episode of her podcast, Saving Grace, which featured controversial adult content creator, Bonnie Blue, who has since been banned from visiting Australia herself.

In an interview with GK, Bonnie made the shocking claim that she had slept with numerous 18 and 19-year-old men, describing them as "barely legal", and openly discussed her exploits of visiting universities during Freshers Week with the intention of sleeping with as many students as possible. Speaking to the Metro, Bonnie stated: "The backlash Grace got should have been aimed at me. Viewers were annoyed she gave me a platform, but in terms of her interview and style, it wasn't an interview. It was never meant to be an interrogation."

The episode has since been deleted by GK, and it appears she has made amends with the show's producers. However, it remains to be seen whether she has truly changed public opinion, as she will soon face a public vote.