Interestingly, the source maintains that the Gold Logie winner, 43, might struggle without a much-needed “career renovation”.
It’s certainly no secret that over the years, Grant – who is expecting his third child with wife, Chezzi Denyer, later this year – has failed to inspire audiences.
The likes of Family Feud, Celebrity Name Game, Games of Games and most recently, Dancing with the Stars have all been axed due to poor ratings with Grant at the helm.
New Idea is told high-ranking producers are “shocked” by Grant’s inclusion on the show, which is usually a great platform for up-and-comers or beloved has-beens searching for a career reboot.
“Some powerful producers were texting friends saying he has committed ‘career suicide’ by going into the jungle,” the source continues.
However, it seems Grant hardly had a choice in his appearance on the hit show!
“Grant was on a three-year contract to host Dancing with the Stars, but Ten axed the series after only two seasons, meaning he still needed to be paid for the third season,” explains the source, who adds that Network Ten offered him the money as long as he agreed to appear in the jungle.
“The rumour is that there’s a clause in Grant’s contract which stated his services could be used on other projects, leaving the network an opportunity not to pay him if he refused to put on the khaki shorts.
There’s no ifs or buts about it – the pressure is on the former golden boy to make this work! He’s got a lot to prove, but he can do it.”
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