Now that I’m a Celebrity Australia 2025 has kicked off, we now know who is braving the South African jungle for charity, but how much do these contestants get paid?
We know the winner of I’m a Celebrity donates their prize money to the charity of their choice. But how much do they make to appear on the reality show?
We’ve done the digging, and here’s what we know.
How much are the 2025 contestants getting paid?
The I’m a Celebrity Australia 2025 cast mates’ pay packets reportedly vary for each contestant.
One unnamed source told Yahoo! Lifestyle that the 2025 season is “the cheapest ever” due to budget cuts.
According to the publication, celebrities are ranked in tiers by their fame, which directly determines their pay.
Apparently, the highest-paid celebrity for this season is Dave Hughes, who the publication reported is raking in $250,000 for the season..
On the opposite end of the spectrum are Samantha Moitzi and Tina Provis, who are reportedly getting paid between $35,000 and $60,000 each.
The insider said that Shayna Jack, Matty J, and Sam Thaiday are earning between $100,000 to $175,000 each with an additional $5,000 bonus for each day they remain on the show, while Max Balegde and Reggie Bird are being paid $100,000 each.
How much did previous contestants make on I’m a Celebrity get paid?
Yes! While the charity prize is a feel-good perk, the contestants on I’m a Celebrity also rake in a sizable sum for their time on the show.
How much exactly? It depends.
Brendan Fevola, winner of I’m a Celebrity Season 2 and co-host of The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick, spilled the tea on the radio show about his 2015 payday.
“I got paid $250,000 upfront. And then $5,000 every show after the [first] two weeks. So, you’d lay there on a Sunday, and you’d hope there’s not another eviction, so you get another 7 days and there’s another $35,000,” he shared.
“Every time I’d lay on the bed I’d think ‘Oh God, there’s another five grand…’ because I was broke.”
The late, great Shane Warne, who starred in the same season, famously bagged a record-breaking payday of over $2 million — the highest in the show’s history.
“He had a clause [in his contract] that if he left, he didn’t get anything,” Fevola revealed.
“So, he had to stay in – and there was one time where he was like, ‘man, I’m done,’ and I would go, ‘man, 2.2 million (dollars), don’t leave!’”
Laurina Fleure, who competed in the second season of I’m a Celebrity and finished third, also revealed her pay check during an interview on the Confessions of a Reality Star podcast.
“I think I cleared about $78K in the bank for those six weeks,” she shared.
In more recent seasons, reports reveal celebs are earning a range of salaries.
In 2023, Daily Mail Australia reported that most contestants earned between $35,000 and $180,000, with TV icon Kerri-Anne Kennerley coming in as the second-highest earner at $180,000.
Nick “Honey Badger” Cummins, however, topped the charts that year, reportedly earning up to $300,000, according to Yahoo Lifestyle.
By 2024, insiders told Pedestrian that one male contestant secured $90,000 for a two-week stint, with an additional $5,500 earned for each extra day spent in the jungle.
Meanwhile, for the upcoming 2025 season, Married At First Sight (MAFS) alum Martha Kalifatidis reportedly turned down an $80,000 offer to join the cast.
According to Daily Mail, Martha decided against appearing on I’m a Celebrity after consulting with her management team, citing concerns over how she might be portrayed.
“My manager told me, ‘They’re just going to pick on you. You’ll be the ‘beauty girl’ under a magnifying glass’,” Martha explained to the publication.
Producers had reportedly offered her “flexible terms,” including the ability to opt out of certain tasks or food challenges, but despite being a top pick for the show, she ultimately decided the risks to her image weren’t worth it.
It seems money isn’t everything. In fact, Not every celebrity who braves the jungle does it for the pay check. Influencer Skye Wheatley, for instance, told Pedestrian that money didn’t drive her decision to appear on I’m a Celebrity.
“To be honest, I would make more money being at home,” she said.
“I’d do it for free. It’s for charity, babes, who gives a fuck about the money. I love that it can be for charity and I love the opportunity. So I’m very grateful.”
How do the charities work on I’m a Celebrity?
Beyond celebrity salaries, the show does donate big bucks to charity.
Each contestant selects a cause close to their heart, and if they win I’m a Celebrity, their chosen organisation takes home $100,000.
Is I’m a Celebrity real or fake?
For anyone doubting how real the jungle is, it’s more intense than you might think!
In 2023, contestant Woody Whitelaw (of Will and Woody fame) shared some behind-the-scenes details on his radio show:
“I was under the impression that the jungle would be a fenced-off area… But the head of security, Steve, told me that outside of the campsite, there are guys in camo standing by. They’re there to warn us if there’s a lion or water buffalo heading our way and make sure they’re safely redirected.”
Wild, right? With that in mind, maybe the celebs are earning their keep after all.
