Paul Burrell looking up in I'm A Celebrity promo clip
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I’m A Celebrity… South Africa: Paul Burrell ‘heartbroken after crew lose wedding ring in trial’

The new series begins tomorrow night

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I’m A Celebrity… South Africa star Paul Burrell was reportedly left “heartbroken” during the series when the crew accidentally lost his wedding ring.

Former royal butler Paul took part in the new spin-off series alongside a string of other famous faces late last year. Tomorrow night (April 24), the series will begin on ITV.

However, according to reports, Paul – who originally entered the Australian jungle in 2004 – suffered an incident during filming after his wedding ring became lost.

The reports claim that Paul handed the ring to a member of the crew before a trial. However, it couldn’t be found later.

Paul Burrell smiling in I'm A Celebrity promo pic
Paul’s wedding ring reportedly went missing, leaving him “heartbroken” (Credit: ITV)

Paul Burrell on I’m A Celebrity… South Africa

A source told The Sun: “Paul was told off-camera and was left heartbroken. Production had a team deployed to search the area high and low where the ring had been.

“They searched for hours on end but had to give up after it failed to surface. It was thought the ring had been put in the production office for safe keeping but was nowhere to be seen.”

They added: “Paul was worried at offending his husband and the fact something so special and intimate to the two of them had been lost. The production runner who lost the ring was crying. He felt horrendous and went home as he couldn’t focus and felt he had let Paul down.”

Paul Burrell speaking in VT for I'm A Celebrity South Africa
Paul stars in the new spin-off show (Credit: ITV/I’m A Celebrity YouTube)

Meanwhile, the insider claimed that Paul became “visibly upset”. He went into the camp and “broke the news to his campmates”

Paul married his husband, Graham Cooper, in 2017.

In addition, the source added that Paul “had to break the news to his husband when he left the camp” and ITV bosses “contacted the couple’s jeweller and replaced the ring like-for-like”.

A rep for ITV declined to comment on this story. ED! has contacted a rep for Paul for comment.

I'm A Celebrity South Africa stars in promo pic
The new spin-off series begins next week (Credit: ITV)

I’m A Celeb… South Africa

The brand new spin-off show will begin on Monday night. It will see the likes of Paul, Carol Vorderman, Janice Dickinson, Helen Flanagan and Amir Khan enter the camp.

Read more: I’m A Celebrity… South Africa: Carol Vorderman and Janice Dickinson in ‘explosive bust-up over royals’

Speaking about doing the show, Paul told Metro: “I did it for 64-year-old men, I did it for gay men, I did it for married men who don’t know they’re gay yet. I did it for all of those people. It was going to be tough. I knew the trials were going to be tougher.”

I’m A Celebrity… South Africa will begin tomorrow (April 24) from 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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Rebecca Carter
Associate Editor (News)