Danny Cipriani set for six figure reality TV payday - reports

Former England rugby player Danny Cipriani has been revealed as a potential contestant on this year's I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here reality show, according to sources in the UK media.

The Daily Mail report that ITV have offered Cipriani a substantial six-figure payment for his participation. Given his rugby salary is understood to have peaked at around £300,000 per season while at Sale Sharks, it could make his ITV deal the best-paying contract he's signed, at least in terms of time commitment.

He will follow in the footsteps of fellow England stars James Haskell and Mike Tindall in taking part in the jungle-based show that first aired in 2002.

The 35-year-old athlete, who away from rugby is known for his athletic build and high-profile relationships with celebrities such as Kelly Brook and Katie Price, is expected to appeal to female viewers of the long-running reality light entertainment show.

Showrunners will presumably be hoping that Cipriani's presence on the show will see him reveal some interesting aspects of his colourful life off the field.

Having now settled down with his marriage to mental health campaigner Victoria Rose in April 2021, Cipriani was previously linked to several well-known figures, including the late Caroline Flack, Lindsay Lohan, Cheeky Girl Monica Irimia, and television presenter Kirsty Gallacher.

He left Bath rugby last year and although he has been linked to various clubs and had been training with Jonny Wilkinson, he hasn't played competitively since his exit. Earlier in the year Cipriani, who was capped 16 times for England over the span of a decade, said he could have played his last game of rugby union or could have ‘his best rugby’ ahead of him.

“There’s no on the horizon at the minute,” Cipriani told the RugbyPass Offload podcast. “I’m just keeping it fit and enjoying my training.

“I think the best part at the moment is your whole career you’re told how to train, what to do, and so on and so. I’m away from that, I’ve enjoyed my fitness, my movement more than ever. It’s really enjoyable. Playing lots of football.”

During his rugby career, Cipriani also found himself involved in various controversies, such as an incident in a Jersey nightclub in 2018, resulting in his guilty plea to charges of common assault and resisting arrest. He was fined £2000 after a disagreement with a doorman. He was also convicted of drink driving following a late-night crash back in 2015.