GK Barry gains big advantage over fellow I'm A Celebrity campmates in the jungle

We're a week into this year's series of I'm A Celebrity and fans have been loving social media star and podcast host GK Barry for her quick wit and willingness to take part in the trials.

Her growing popularity seems to be translating online as well, as she's earned the most new Instagram followers out of all her fellow campmates.

According to data from Digital PR Tips, GK Barry, whose real name is Grace Eleanor Keeling, has gained 79,653 new followers after the first week of the show.

Her starting follower count on the social media site was 881,878 and it's now risen to 961,531, meaning it won't be long until she hits the milestone million followers.

In second place is Wagatha Christie herself, Coleen Rooney who has seen a 55,074 increase, while former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos has gained 54,304 new followers, reports OK!.

Rounding up the top five are late entrant Maura Higgins with 49,559 new followers and Radio 1 host Dean McCullough with 37,068. At the bottom of the pack is Reverend Richard Coles, with only 1,179 new followers on his page.

Grace became a TikTok star in 2020 during lockdown and surpassed one million followers, just a year into creating her account. She began her podcast Saving Grace in 2022 and has since gone on to tour the podcast around the UK.

Earlier this year, she became the youngest ever Loose Women panellist to join the line-up and is hoping her popularity on I'm A Celebrity will take her career to new heights.

Grace appears set to have a wealth of opportunities upon her exit, with potential offers both individually and alongside her girlfriend Ella Rutherford. Dermot McNamara, founder of talent agency Candid, told OK!: "Loose Women was a great starting point for her to expand into the world of TV and it's likely ITV is viewing her as their 'next big star'."

He added: "A spin-off show with her girlfriend Ella could be on the horizon like a fly-on-the-wall reality series. Commercial deals, which GK already does, could come in thick and fast, too."

He further noted: "She's already commercially friendly and viable she's worked with Pretty Little Thing, is the face of Wagamama and has a jewellery line. It's likely she'll have her pick of anything."

Grace didn't have an easy start in the jungle after being selected for the very first Bushtucker trial.

Viewers voted for her to take it on after seeing her scream while putting her hands into a hole of critters while making her way into camp for the leaders challenge. However, she put on a great performance and was able to bring back eight stars for her fellow campmates.

The full data analysis can be viewed at Digital PR Tips. I'm A Celebrity continues tonight at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX followed by I'm A Celebrity: Unpacked after the main show on ITV2.