Wayne Rooney completes first I'm A Celebrity challenge after 3 withdrawals

Former England footballer Wayne Rooney completed his first I'm A Celebrity challenge by skydiving from a helicopter to an Australian beach, having withdrawn from three previous jumps at the last minute.

Rooney was broadly smiling when he landed at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, the Daily Star reported. Paralympian Ade Adepitan made a helicopter jump too, landing on the sand.

"My biggest fear is probably to stand on the edge of a plane and jump out, that's terrifying," Rooney said earlier.

The skydive was recorded for the upcoming series; its ITV premiere is on Monday, Nov. 16.

"Wayne has always been nervous when it comes to heights and helicopters, so it seemed an obvious choice for bosses to get him doing the famous skydiving trial before entering camp," an unnamed source told the Daily Mail.

"And to everyone's surprise, he absolutely loved it. It will make for great television," the source said.

Rooney's new campmates gave him encouragement, the source said, but there was no time for high fives before he was "whisked off immediately after to do an interview and film his reaction for the show."

"I don't like snakes or what is in the water either – I don't go in the sea," Rooney said before the season premiere.

"This is probably the biggest exposure I've ever had, being on TV every night for three weeks," he said before the premiere.

Rooney wore grey clothes and a baseball cap when he arrived in Australia on Monday. "Yeah I've never been to Australia. I was meant to come once when doing Thailand," he told reporters on arrival.

Adepitan, 53, is a TV presenter and former Paralympic basketball player. He reached the beach in an electric all-terrain wheelchair built for challenging ground, which he had previously discussed on social media.

The Daily Mail reported that ITV producers spent nine months making the jungle camp accessible to Adepitan, with changes including rest areas, wheelchair bays, crutch holders and other bespoke adaptations. Inquisitr was unable to verify the report independently.

The paper said discussions about Adepitan joining the series started last year, and he went to Australia with producers in February to advise them on meeting his needs at camp.

According to a source quoted by the paper, Adepitan embraced the experience as soon as filming began. "Viewers are going to be very impressed with Ade's performance from the first episode," the source said.

The 12-strong line-up includes Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page, Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney and model Leomie Anderson.

"There's cockroaches right now in my living room, so I'll be fine," YouTuber Sharky, 30, said earlier about jungle insects.

Another celebrity, whose identity was unknown, was spotted holding a flare while standing atop a moving lorry.

The celebrities will be divided into two teams in Monday's launch episode as they start their jungle stay in New South Wales.