Dec jokes he’s ‘lucky to be alive’ after being bitten by a spider on I’m a Celebrity

A jumping spider attacked the veteran host while he worked in the Australian outback

I’m a Celeb host Declan Donnelly has received urgent medical attention after being bitten by a spider while hosting.

The 49-year-old has been fronting the popular reality show, which sees household names compete in a series of gruelling challenges, since it first aired in 2002.

While contestants are faced with all manner of exotic species in the Australian outback, presenters Donnelly and his co-host Ant McPartlin are usually able to enjoy the proceedings from a gleeful distance.

“We’ve had quite a lot of drama not only on the show, but off the show as well,” McPartlin revealed in an Instagram Live on Tuesday (3 December).

“Because Dec had a spider on his neck and was bitten by a spider and the medic was called in to have a look.”

The eight-legged creature Donnelly was bitten by was a jumping spider, with the pair showing a picture of the fairly large bug on their social media.

”The medic said I was lucky to be alive,” joked Donnelly. “If I wasn’t so fit and healthy, and masculine, I might not have survived.”

McPartlin was quick to clarify, adding: “No, she didn’t, she said it was a jumping spider and it was absolutely fine.”

Donnelly was forced to receive urgent medical attention after being bitten (Instagram/Ant and Dec)

Donnelly said that the spider jumped onto this script before biting him on the neck. He shared a picture of the culprit, although McPartlin said the real creature was much smaller.

BBC Radio star Melvin Odoom became the fourth star of the series to be eliminated after he and Love Island star Maura Higgins found themselves in the bottom two on Tuesday (3 December).

He was bitten by a spider on the back of his neck (Instagram/ Ant and Dec)

“I was ready to go but it’s been a really wild experience,” the broadcaster admitted during a sit down interview with Ant and Dec, before praising the strong friendships he has formed in the camp, singling out his bonds with Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse and McFly’s Danny Jones.

His departure follows N Dubz star and former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos’s shock exit on Monday (2 December).

In a post-exit interview on ITV’s Lorraine, Contostavlos seemed to suggest that some friendships between the campmates might not last once the show is over, telling the presenter: “A lot of people were being very pally pally but the real test will be when everyone is out.”