NEED TO KNOW
- Luke Bateman‘s manager is well-connected to the I’m A Celebrity production team.
- Sources say 2026 campmates feared the BookTok star would be shown favouritism.
- The retired NRL player has connections to Network 10, having been on The Bachelor in 2023.
- Luke is now being eyed up for several other reality shows.
The Bachelor star turned BookTok heart-throb Luke Bateman was the first celebrity to be announced as going into the jungle for the 2026 season of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! Australia.
Now, New Idea can exclusively reveal how the retired NRL player scored his spot on the hit Network 10 reality show.
New Idea has been told that it was stiff competition to get cast on the show this year, with every star under the sun angling for a spot.
However, it seems Luke, 30, had a winning card up his sleeve. His current agent at 22 Management once worked for Network 10’s publicity department, and specifically for I’m A Celebrity.
Friends in high places
According to our insider, Luke’s management would have “known exactly” how to pitch Luke to the I’m A Celebrity casting producers to ensure that he would land a spot in the South African camp.
Since signing with 22 Management late last year, Luke has already scored a book deal with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Australia. The deal will see Luke pen two fantasy novels.
Another added bonus was that Luke is already a familiar face to Network 10 executives. They cast him as one of the three suitors on the final season of Ten’s iteration of The Bachelor in 2023. Luke did find love on the show, but he and his winner, Ellie Rolfe, are no longer together.
“Once the other celebrities found out that Luke had been on The Bachelor and was being managed by a former Network 10 publicist many of them feared he would be favoured. It definitely created angst!” reveals our TV insider.
“Some celebs even turned to him for advice about getting deals and work with the network. They knew that he was someone to get in with.
“When filming began Luke was very much the golden boy on set. It was clear he knew his way around a reality show and knew how it worked, he a good relationship with production, while others didn’t and that led to some awkwardness.”
“It’s no secret that celebrities are brought onto the show with secret deals, caveats and get-out-of-challenge-clauses. Favouritism is rampant on the show. It is used to keep bigger names on the show longer, making it more comfortable and easier for them to get through the weeks.”
Since filming wrapped on I’m A Celebrity in late December, there have been whispers that Luke and his management are keen to leverage his TV connections to land further spots on other reality shows.
“There’s rumours that Luke has already been earmarked for the next season of The Traitors Australia,” adds our source. “I can also see him being pitched for Dancing with the Stars, if Seven decide to bring that back. His battle with gambling would also make him perfect for SAS too.”
What are Luke Bateman’s gambling struggles?
Ahead of I’m A Celebrity’s premiere, Luke opened up about his gambling struggles.
He told news.com.au that his addiction started while he was in the NRL and estimates he gambled away about $500,000. He even once had to ask his mother to help cover his mortgage – despite being a well-paid NRL player.
“Luke has nearly 1 million followers on social media and is arguably one of the most commercially viable celebrities involved in this season,” tells the source.
“Ten knew that by signing him on the show would serve effectively as a screen test for other projects and that they’d be able to see if a more audience would fawn over him, much like his social media followers have.”
