The Australian jungle, that glittering arena of celebrity survival and saccharine camaraderie, has descended into disarray following Ruby Wax’s abrupt exit from I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! 2025 on Wednesday, December 3. The 72-year-old comedy icon, who had quickly become the camp’s self-anointed “Queen,” bid a tearful farewell to her fellow contestants, leaving them—and viewers—in stunned silence.

But exclusive sources tell The Sun that her departure wasn’t the result of a straightforward public vote. Instead, it was precipitated by a secret injury sustained during a grueling off-camera challenge rehearsal, an “agonising” incident that forced producers into a desperate scramble to protect the star’s health and avert a potential medical crisis. “Ruby’s tougher than most, but even she has limits,” one insider revealed. “The jungle’s no place for a bad sprain—producers had no choice but to pull her out fast, or risk something far worse.” As the remaining seven campmates navigate the fallout, with morale plummeting and alliances fracturing, Wax’s withdrawal has turned the show from frolic to fiasco, raising urgent questions about participant safety in ITV’s high-stakes survival spectacle.

Wax’s time in the jungle had been a whirlwind of wit and warmth since her November entry as the wildcard contestant. The Absolutely Fabulous alum and mental health advocate wasted no time asserting her presence, dubbing the camp a “fantasy land” of “loving clusters” and stepping up as leader after Shona McGarty’s contraband butter scandal. Her Bushtucker Trials were pure entertainment gold: tucking into witchety grubs, pig’s testicles, and vomit fruit juice with theatrical gusto, she netted five stars while quipping, “If I was still on TV, I’d be eating cockroaches on an island—and probably harming myself because I’m too smart.” Off-camera, she formed a tight-knit trio with social media stars Aitch and Angry Ginge (Morgan Burtwistle), whom she affectionately called her “spark,” and mediated the explosive #MilkBottleGate sweet heist with mock outrage: “They’re funny, but they’ll be punished!” Fans adored her unfiltered candor, from therapy confessions to Trump takedowns, with #RubyQueen trending weekly. “She’s the chaos we tuned in for,” one viewer tweeted, amassing 50k likes.

But the “agonising behind-the-scenes moment” occurred during a late-night rehearsal for the Dingo Dollar challenge on November 28, sources confirm. While navigating the dimly lit obstacle course in near-darkness, Wax twisted her ankle severely on a concealed root, the sprain swelling rapidly and rendering her foot “black and throbbing” by morning. “She powered through the day, refusing medical attention on air—classic Ruby, joking it was ‘just another day in the asylum,’” a crew member spilled. “But by evening, she could barely put weight on it. Producers called an urgent consult; the risk of infection or further damage in the humid jungle was too high.” Bound by ITV’s strict health protocols—especially for a star with Wax’s public history of bipolar disorder and past mental health battles—the team had “no choice” but to accelerate her exit. “It wasn’t about votes; it was safety,” the source added. “Ruby wanted to stay, but the medics overruled her. She was gutted.”

The withdrawal’s timing amplified the chaos. Airing as a standard eviction, Ant and Dec delivered the envelope to a tearful camp: “Your votes mean Ruby is leaving.” The remaining seven—Jack Osbourne, Lisa Riley, Aitch, Ginge, Shona McGarty, Oti Mabuse, and Tom Read Wilson—collapsed in hugs, Lisa sobbing, “It’s me next!” Ruby crossed the bridge quipping about her champagne flute, but in the studio, pain peeked through: “I’ve been ripped from my family, from the womb—I’m so upset.” She confessed the “appalling” rice-and-beans diet was toughest, but insiders say the real agony was her bandaged foot, hidden under boots. Dec teased a return—”Never say never”—but sources doubt it: “She’s heading home for physio; the jungle’s unforgiving.”

Camp morale cratered without her levity. Tensions boiled: Aitch and Ginge’s chore revolt escalated to shouting, Shona’s butter blame resurfaced, and Jack fretted over “toxic vibes.” Producers edited out injury hints, but leaks spread: #RubyInjured trended with 800k posts, fans fuming “Forced out for safety? That’s not fair!” (@JungleJustice, 40k likes). “Producers got rid of her because she couldn’t do Cyclone—robbed!” (@CelebSurvivor, 25k retweets). ITV insists “purely public vote,” but the post-rehearsal timing fuels conspiracy: was her exit engineered to dodge liability?

Wax downplayed it on This Morning: “I’m gutted, but the lads were my spark—tell Ginge to win!” Her bipolar openness made her a beacon, but this underscores the jungle’s toll: Eddie Kadi’s food poisoning, Alex Scott’s exhaustion. As the final four days loom (Aitch 3/1 favorite), Ruby’s “forced” farewell flips the script—from queen to casualty. Fans demand transparency: “ITV, spill the truth!” The camp’s upside down, but Ruby’s chaos reigns. Tune in Thursday 9pm ITV; the jungle’s wilder than ever.