A familiar face appears to be missing from the jungle — and fans of I’m A Celebrity may immediately notice the difference when the show returns later this year.
Joel Dommett, who has helped front the companion show I’m A Celebrity: Unpacked from Australia across the past two series, is not included in the presenting line-up announced for 2026.
Instead, Sam Thompson and Kemi Rodgers have been named as the hosts who will lead the spin-off into its next chapter.
It is a significant change for a programme that has become part of the nightly jungle experience, offering viewers an extra dose of behind-the-scenes gossip, unseen moments, celebrity reactions and immediate interviews with departing campmates.
And while excitement is already building for another autumn of Bushtucker Trials, campfire confessions and jungle chaos, Joel’s absence from the line-up has created an unexpected talking point before the first celebrity has even stepped foot in camp.
So what exactly is changing?
And what will Unpacked look like without one of its familiar presenters?
Joel Dommett is missing from the 2026 line-up
Joel, 41, was part of the presenting team for Unpacked during the 2024 and 2025 series, bringing his trademark humour and energetic presenting style to the Australian set.
Last year, he appeared alongside former King of the Jungle Sam Thompson and radio presenter Kemi Rodgers.
But for 2026, only Sam and Kemi have been announced as the hosts.
That means viewers tuning in after the main programme will see a noticeably different presenting dynamic.
No dramatic explanation for Joel’s absence was included in the announcement, so it would be wrong to speculate about why he is not returning.
What is clear, however, is that the show is moving forward with Sam and Kemi at the centre of its presenting team.
And for longtime viewers, that represents one of the first major changes to this year’s jungle season.
Sam Thompson steps further into the spotlight
If there is one person who understands the emotional rollercoaster of I’m A Celebrity, it is Sam Thompson.
He does not simply know the programme as a presenter watching from the sidelines.
He has lived it.
After winning the jungle crown and becoming King of the Jungle, Sam went from being a contestant experiencing every fear, friendship and emotional breakdown inside camp to becoming part of the wider presenting family.
That experience gives him a unique connection to the celebrities who emerge from the jungle each night.
He knows what it feels like to be hungry.
He knows the nerves before a trial.
He understands the strange intensity of forming close friendships with people you barely knew just days earlier.
And perhaps most importantly, he understands what it feels like when those famous jungle doors finally open and the outside world suddenly comes rushing back.
Now, alongside Kemi Rodgers, Sam will be responsible for helping viewers unpack every major moment of the 2026 series.
From unexpected arguments and hilarious camp disasters to emotional confessions and shocking eliminations, there will certainly be plenty to discuss.
Kemi Rodgers returns alongside Sam
Kemi Rodgers will also return to the Australian jungle as Sam’s co-host.
Together, the pair are expected to bring viewers behind the scenes of the main show, revealing unseen footage, discussing the biggest developments from camp and welcoming a rotating collection of celebrity guests and familiar faces.
The format is designed to keep the conversation going immediately after the main programme ends.
And that is precisely what makes Unpacked such an important part of the experience for devoted fans.
When something dramatic happens inside camp, viewers do not necessarily want to wait until the following morning to talk about it.
They want reactions immediately.
They want to know what Ant and Dec thought.
They want to hear from former contestants who understand what is really happening behind those jungle walls.
And when a celebrity is voted out, they want to hear exactly how that person is feeling just minutes after leaving camp.
That immediacy is where Unpacked comes alive.
Ant and Dec remain at the heart of the jungle
While the spin-off is undergoing a presenting change, one thing remains reassuringly familiar.
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are preparing to return to Australia for the 26th series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
For millions of viewers, Ant and Dec are inseparable from the jungle.
Their reactions during trials, playful teasing of terrified celebrities and ability to find humour in even the most chaotic situations have helped define the programme for years.
They are also expected to continue making appearances on Unpacked, joining Sam and Kemi to discuss the latest developments viewers have just watched unfold.
That could mean plenty of candid reactions to the night’s biggest moments.
Because while viewers see the polished version of the jungle on screen, Ant and Dec are often standing only metres away when some of its most unforgettable scenes happen.
Their perspective can reveal another side to the story.
What exactly happens on Unpacked?
For casual viewers, Unpacked may simply look like an aftershow.
But for dedicated jungle fans, it offers something different from the main programme.
It is where the night’s biggest moments can be examined almost immediately.
Celebrity guests and former campmates join the discussion, offering opinions on friendships, tensions and the personalities beginning to emerge inside camp.
Unseen clips can provide extra context to stories that viewers have already watched.
And once the public eliminations begin, things become even more interesting.
Departing celebrities can head directly from the jungle experience into the Unpacked studio for their first extended reactions.
Those interviews can sometimes reveal how dramatically different life inside camp feels compared with how viewers perceive it from home.
A disagreement that looked enormous on television may have lasted only minutes.
A friendship that barely appeared on screen may have been incredibly important behind the scenes.
And a contestant who appeared fearless may finally admit just how terrified they really were.
That is why the spin-off can become such an important companion to the main series.
But why isn’t Joel returning?
That is inevitably the question some viewers may ask.
At present, the confirmed information is straightforward: Joel is not part of the announced 2026 presenting line-up, while Sam and Kemi have been named as hosts.
Beyond that, there is no need to turn his absence into something it may not be.
Television line-ups change.
Presenters move between projects.
Formats evolve.
Schedules become complicated.
Unless Joel or those involved choose to explain more, anything beyond the confirmed line-up would simply be speculation.
Still, his absence will undoubtedly change the chemistry of the programme.
Joel is an experienced presenter with a long history connected to the jungle world, having previously competed on I’m A Celebrity himself before becoming part of its wider television family.
His humour and familiarity with the format made him a natural fit for the companion programme.
Now Sam and Kemi have the opportunity to establish Unpacked as their own.
And that could create an entirely new energy.
The jungle countdown has officially begun
The main programme has been confirmed to return as part of the autumn 2026 schedule, although an official launch date has not yet been announced.
That means the familiar countdown is beginning.
Soon, attention will turn to Australia.
The camp will be prepared.
The trials will be waiting.
And somewhere, a group of celebrities will be wondering exactly what they have signed themselves up for.
Last year’s series began in mid-November, which naturally raises speculation that the 2026 edition could arrive around a similar point in the calendar.
However, until an official date is announced, any exact launch day remains unconfirmed.
What we do know is that another jungle season is coming.
And with it will come one of television’s favourite annual guessing games.
Who is going into camp?
The rumour mill is already spinning
As always, speculation about potential contestants has started long before the official cast reveal.
Several familiar names have already been linked with a possible trip Down Under.
Among those mentioned in early speculation are Gavin & Stacey actress Joanna Page, skating legend Christopher Dean and former Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova.
For now, however, these names should remain firmly in the “rumoured” category unless officially confirmed.
And that uncertainty is half the fun.
Every year, the weeks before the jungle opens are filled with whispers.
A celebrity suddenly clears their schedule.
Someone mysteriously disappears from social media.
Another famous face is spotted at an airport.
Then the detective work begins.
Fans start comparing clues, examining interviews and trying to predict who might soon be swapping luxury for rice, beans and a sleeping bag.
Some rumours prove completely wrong.
Others turn out to have been hiding in plain sight.
A new chapter for Unpacked
The biggest confirmed change so far, however, is happening outside the camp itself.
Joel Dommett will not be part of the Unpacked presenting line-up announced for 2026.
Sam Thompson and Kemi Rodgers will instead take the reins together, bringing viewers the backstage secrets, unseen moments and post-jungle conversations that make the companion programme such a lively extension of the main show.
Will viewers miss Joel?
Almost certainly, some will.
Will Sam and Kemi create a different chemistry?
Inevitably.
But television constantly evolves, and sometimes a change in line-up can completely reshape the energy of a programme.
Sam brings the enthusiasm of someone whose love for the jungle has always been impossible to hide.
Kemi brings her own confident presenting style.
Together, they now have the chance to make this version of Unpacked distinctly theirs.
One missing face — and plenty of questions
It is still months before the jungle truly takes over our screens, yet the first major talking point has already arrived.
A familiar presenter is missing.
A new two-person hosting line-up has been confirmed.
Ant and Dec are preparing to return.
And the rumour mill surrounding the celebrity cast is already gathering momentum.
For fans, that can mean only one thing.
Jungle season is getting closer.
Before long, there will be screaming celebrities, impossible trials, unexpected friendships, campfire confessions and enough drama to keep everyone talking long after the credits roll.
But when viewers stay tuned for Unpacked this year, things will look a little different.
Joel Dommett will no longer be sitting alongside the presenting team.
Instead, the spotlight belongs to Sam Thompson and Kemi Rodgers.
And now one big question remains:
How will the jungle aftershow feel without Joel?
