Joe Swash has revealed that Holly Willoughby stepped in to host I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! as a favour to pals Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly.

The This Morning presenter will head up this year's series of the ITV reality show with Dec after Ant stepped down from his TV duties following his drink-drive conviction.

And Joe said she's the perfect choice, because she's doing it for the right reasons.

The star, who hosts spin-off show Extra Camp with Joel Dommett and Scarlett Moffatt, talked about Holly joining the show during an exclusive chat with Mirror Online at the Pride of Britain Awards.

Joe and Stacey at Pride of Britain
Holly is joining Dec on I'm A Celeb

While attending the glitzy bash with girlfriend Stacey Solomon, Joe told us: "She'll be amazing. She's perfect."

And Stacey agreed: "No doubt about it, she's a seasoned professional. Everything she does, she does it just perfectly, so I can't imagine it being anything but brilliant."

Joe went on to say the signing was extra special because of Holly's close friendship with Ant and Dec.

He said: "She's such good friends with the boys, and it's someone doing them a favour, it's not someone going in to try and enhance their career. Holly's so good at what she does, she'll be amazing, and I'm looking forward to it."

Stacey also revealed the hilarious reason why bosses don't tell Joe who's in the line-up.

She told us: "The last time they told Joe, he told his nan, who told the Gazette up north."

"Scoop of the year, they had," Joe laughed.

Joe also revealed who his dream I'm A Celeb campmates would be, and his sadness that it'll never happen.

They think she's the perfect choice
Joe hosts Extra Camp with Scarlett and Joel

He said: "You know what I'm gutted about, I would really have loved to see The Chuckle Brothers in there.

"I get asked this question every year for the last 10 years and I've always said the same thing, I'd love to see Paul Gascoigne and The Chuckle Brothers.

"It's such a shame that one of them passed away this year, so that will never happen unfortunately.

"But someone like Paul Gascoigne, someone who would go in there and have a real journey, and it's someone who brings back childhood memories for me, a blast from the past."

Joe's stint on the show this year will be even more special, thanks to the fact that his son Harry, 11, is joining him in Australia.

They had advice for the campmates
Dec will host without Ant for the first time ever

He said: "This will be my tenth year on the spin-off show so it's almost like part of my life, the people who work out there, they're like family so it's just lovely.

"And Stacey's been out there and she's experienced it, it's lovely."

He added: "My little boy's coming out this year for the first 10 days so it's going to be extra special."

Joe and Stacey know exactly what life in the jungle is like.

Former EastEnders star Joe, 36, won the show in 2008, and X Factor and Loose Women star Stacey, 29, claimed victory in 2010.

The trio have been friends for years
Holly is doing the show as a favour to Ant
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When asked if they had any advice for the new crop of campmates, Joe said: "Just remember it's only three weeks because it can take over your life when you're in there and become everything, but just remember it's only three weeks, you can do it, your family will be on the other side of the bridge, just enjoy it, that's the best thing to do."

Stacey added: "And also, give it a bit of research before you go in. I always am baffled by people who are like, 'Oh I just didn't know this is what it would be like'.

"It's been going for a really long time and there's lots of evidence."
