Former Brisbane Broncos NRL legend Sam Thaiday has won I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! Australia season 11 after 29 days in the jungle.
The 39-year-old was a fan favourite to win the 2025 series as he endeared himself to his fellow campmates and viewers watching from home with his can-do attitude and optimistic approach to life.
Former Bachelor Matty J and reality star Reggie Bird were also in the final three.
He follows in the footsteps of social media starlet Skye Wheatley who was crowned Queen of the Jungle in 2024.
Speaking with New Idea the morning after his exciting win, Sam said he was “very happy” with the result.
“It was a great final three. I was surprised to be in the final three and even more surprised when my name was read out,” he shared with us.
“I was glad I got the opportunity to break the rugby league mould. I think a lot of people would have known me for my footy days. I was pretty crazy and intense out there on the footy field but a lot of people in those footy circles would have told you that I’m more than just the crazy guy on the field. And now everyone else [in Australia] has seen that as well,” he added.
While he’d never watched I’m A Celeb prior to being cast, the rugby league legend admitted to New Idea that he made an effort to “binge-watch” the series to prepare for the jungle.
“It was almost like pre-season training,” Sam laughed.
“You can’t prepare for what you go through though. I was just glad I got the chance to be a part of it. If anything, it exceeded my expectations.”
When quizzed on what surprised him most about his time in South Africa, Sam was quick to speak of the surprise level of vulnerability he showed to his fellow celebrities at camp.
“Being tired and being hungry you let your guard down and show more emotion.”
“I’m glad that I got to share some of my life stories with my campmates and that it had a flow-on effect on Australians watching from home as well.”
“If the stories we tell can inspire people to open up about their own emotions or seek help about some of the things we are going through then that’s one of the greatest things you can do in life.”
He added that despite being keen to star on I’m a Celeb again, he’d also be interested in starring on a “cooking show” – perhaps MasterChef could be in his future?
” I definitely enjoyed this experience and would highly recommend it to any of my other football mates if they get the opportunity. You learn so much about yourself, you learn so much about other people and you get a unique experience that in all honesty money can’t buy,” he added.
The father-of-two was in the jungle on behalf of charity Find Ya Feet. Earlier in the season, Sam opened up to his fellow campmates about why he wanted to represent the organisation and shine a light on the important work they do during his time on I’m A Celeb.
“My charity is called Find Your Feet. It’s run by a guy named Tommy Herschel,” shared the winner.
“He goes into schools and helps young boys, and he gives them a safe place to share their feelings and talk about how they’re feeling. I sat in on one of his sessions and heard how brave some of these young boys were in opening up and sharing their stories about what was going on in their lives.”
“As a 13-year-old boy, I wanted to take my own life, and I wish I had someone like Tommy around to let me know that it was okay to talk about my feelings. As a young kid, I really struggled to find my place,” he added, bringing some of his fellow celebrities to tears with his emotional admission.
