Australia fell in love with former NRL player Luke Bateman on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, who made it all the way to the 2026 grand finale.
The former Bachelor lead made it to the finale with comedian Concetta Caristo, who was crowned the Queen of the Jungle, and actor Gary Sweet.
Speaking exclusively with New Idea after the February 22 finale, he said that he valued many friendships from the show, especially with Concetta.
Are Luke Bateman and Concetta Caristo dating?
“Cet is one of those people where as soon as you’re with her, you just want to be nearer, because she just brings peace and she brings light, and she brings comfort and just being with her and being around her makes people happy … she gives people back to themselves and she allows people to just be themselves when they’re with her,” he said.
“And I deeply chose that as someone who has spent my life pretending to be someone who I’m not.
“I think Cet’s ability and influence on the people around her is something that is invaluable, you can’t you can’t you can’t put a price on the on the beautiful humanity that she displays.”
Fans also noticed their connection on the show and hoped they would start dating outside the jungle.
While he has not watched much of the show and tries to stay away from online comments, he said he’s received messages about the hopes that he forms something romantic with his co-star.
It is something that makes them both laugh, he says, insisting that they are friends.
“I think people at times can, because it’s a man and a woman, they can sort of cast gender onto situations and and and over-sexualise things, but I really do think people need to take a step back and just remember that there are two humans who form a really beautiful friendship and they really value and love each other,” he explained.
Luke Bateman’s openness about his past addiction
He said it was also easy to speak with the other celebrities about his previous gambling struggles.
Throughout his recovery journey, he was “brutally honest” with himself and said it was important to speak the truth.
He said fans have reached out to thank him for his vulnerability, and added that he is determined to be a national spokesperson for the issue.
Luke Bateman’s exciting book update
While the show has been unfolding, he admitted that he hadn’t watched much of the show when it aired, and has been preoccupied with his business and drafting his book.
When asked for an update, the BookTok influencer revealed he was three-quarters through amending his second draft, and it was coming along “swimmingly”.
He famously revealed that he signed a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books Australia in 2025 for his upcoming fantasy series.
Even though it’s been an all-consuming process, he’s been loving every moment of it.
So, will any jungle moments be included in his series?
“Writing for me is a very soulful undertaking,” he explained.
“The way that you express yourself through writing and the way that you tell a story really does come from lived experience and the way that you translate emotion and connection, love, joy, and grief and everything, the way you translate it into writing is the way that you translate it in yourself.
“And I think that there were moments in the jungle where I really got a grounding view of life and soul, and taking that into my writing is absolutely drawing inspiration from that.”
When asked about a release date, he revealed he was a couple of months ahead of schedule and hoped to release it either at the end of the year or early 2027.
