Paul Burrell takes on his first attempt at I’m A Celebrity All Stars

Paul Burrell takes an unwanted trip down memory lane as he takes on his first challenge on the upcoming I’m A Celebrity… South Africa.

The former royal butler, 64, reflects his horrified expressions of 19 years ago as he gets stuck into a challenge in the new All Stars series.

Taking his stand during Monday’s debut episode, Paul joked: “How nice for the first challenge to put my hand in a hole.”

The author – who first competed on I’m a Celeb in 2004 – and his fellow campers endured sinking rafts, marauding rats and terrifying precipices in the first installment.

Famous faces such as Carol Vorderman, Helen Flanagan and Shaun Ryder will return to the jungle on April 24.

The show will start on Monday 24 April and will air for three weekdays, with the final week clashing with the Eurovision semi-finals on Tuesday 9 May and Thursday 11.

Posting on Twitter, ITV’s press office wrote: “Confirmed: I’m a Celebrity… South Africa starts Monday 24 April at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.”

So far, a host of stars have been revealed taking part in the series, including boxer Amir Khan, 36, former Coronation Street star Helen, 32, and TV presenter Carol, 62.

They will be joined by the late Princess Diana’s former butler Paul, 64, Diversity dancer Jordan Banjo, 30, Happy Mondays star Sean, 60, retired javelin thrower Fatima Whitbread, 62, and former England international cricketer Phil Tufnell, 56.

The Sun reports that Gillian McKeith, 63, Dean Gaffney, 45, Joe Swash, 41, Andy Wymont, 42, Mileene Klass, 45, and Georgia Toffolo, 28, will arrive at the camp later in the series.

The new series sees the return of some of the most memorable campmates from I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in the brand new setting of South Africa.

The challenges will be bigger and more difficult, and the environment harsher and more unforgiving than the usual Australian jungle.

With no public vote, they will compete against each other in a battle to become the first ever I’m a Celebrity Legend.

It follows reports that Paul was left heartbroken after a crew member lost his wedding ring while filming the first-ever series of I’m A Celebrity All Stars.

The former royal butler was reportedly advised to remove the gold band, which is valued at £10,000, before taking part in Bushtucker’s trial.

Paul, who worked alongside and was confidant to Diana, Princess of Wales for ten years until her death in 1997, cried tears of joy when he married his ‘soulmate’ Graham Cooper in 2017.

The couple opted for gold wedding rings, but Paul’s went missing as the ITV crew were unable to locate them after the trial concluded.

A source told The Sun: “The ring was thought to have been placed in the production office for safekeeping but it was nowhere to be found.

“The production director who lost the ring was crying.

“He felt terrible and went home as he couldn’t concentrate and felt he had let Paul down.”

ITV declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. Paul’s representatives have been reached for comment.

Paul was previously married to Maria Cosgrove, the mother of his two grown-up sons, but the pair announced their divorce in 2016 after living apart for years.

Speaking after his same-sex ceremony with Graham, Paul said: “Everything about the day was perfect, which was made even more wonderful by the fact that my two sons were here to share the event.

“I can no longer hide my unbridled happiness. Life is about being true to who you are, and for the first time I can stand proudly next to my husband and say “This is me.”

Paul revealed earlier this year that his appearance on I’m A Celebrity South Africa led to his prostate cancer diagnosis.

Speaking about how he found out on Lorraine’s show, Paul told how routine health tests were carried out before the show finished and his GP was concerned about the results.

After landing back in the UK from the Kruger National Park in north-east South Africa, he underwent an MRI scan and a biopsy and was then told he would fight the disease.

Paul was runner-up on the fourth series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2004

I’m a Celebrity… South Africa starts on Monday on ITV at 9pm.