- Stricken with illness, he's losing his footing.
For the very first time, a Jungle Trial went down without the presence of Dr. Bob! On the 14th day of the ongoing Legends season, currently streaming on RTL+ and RTL, the unprecedented event occurred after a two-decade streak. Robert "Bob" McCarron (74), the British-Australian native, was unable to make it to the show due to illness. Dr. Bob has been an integral part of "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" since its inaugural season in 2004.
"He's genuinely unwell," presenter Sonja Zietlow (56) broke the news to the shock of the day's contestants, Elena Miras (32) and Georgina Fleur (34), during the episode filmed in May.
Jan Köppen Takes Over for Dr. Bob
According to the channel's report, special effects artist and emergency medical technician Jan Köppen (41) stepped in for him. Köppen himself missed the start of the unusual South African-filmed series due to ill health - Zietlow hosted the show single-handedly.
However, Dr. Bob's absence won't be a one-time occurrence. Köppen is expected to step in on day 15 to brief the contestants on the safety measures involved in the tasks.
The identities of the contestants for this day are yet to be decided. It's clear, however, that at least one, or possibly more, of the remaining contestants will be participating. Besides Miras and Fleur, these include Kader Loth (51), Danni Büchner (46), Sarah Knappik (37), Mola Adebisi (51), Gigi Birofio (25), and Eric Stehfest (35).
The special season, "I'm a Celebrity... Showdown of the Jungle Legends" (with the latest episode available via RTL+, and airing the following day on RTL linear TV), has already waved goodbye to Thorsten Legat (55), Giulia Siegel (49), Winfried Glatzeder (79), Hanka Rackwitz (55), and David Ortega (39).
"What about Dr. Bob's replacement in the upcoming task?" one of the contestants, possibly Kader Loth or Danni Büchner, might ask, curious about the change in their usual protocol.
"That would be Jan Köppen," Sonja Zietlow might respond, answering the question with a reassuring tone, "he's an experienced special effects artist and emergency medical technician."
