She can’t cook, hates camping, loves a drink, has barely recovered from major surgery and is one of the richest women on Australian TV – so what did it take to get Kerri-Anne Kennerley to agree to head into the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here jungle?
Despite reports indicating a $180,000 salary, New Idea’s source reveals KAK is getting so much more!
WATCH: Kerri-Anne Kennerley at the Women of the Future 2021 event
“She stands to bank about $1 million from appearing on I’m A Celebrity. That’s almost 10 times more than they are paying anyone else,” explains the insider.
“I believe she has received a $500,000 sign-on cheque and will then earn another $50,000 for every week she stays in the jungle,” continues the source, who says this year’s production is huge, with over 120 crew and a $15 million budget.
“But regardless of that – that’s a massive amount of money for one person!”

Our source insists that if viewers “are wondering why there are so many D-listers on the show … KAK is your answer!”
“I’m told retired netball superstar Liz Ellis, Peter Helliar and Nathan Henry are being paid about $100,000 each – which means the rest of them are only pocketing pennies.”
Indeed, viewers have not held back with questioning who some of the campmates actually are – despite them being big names in their respective fields.
WATCH: Kerri-Anne Kennerley wedding to late husband
Kerri-Anne has said no to appearing on I’m A Celebrity before – and she’s been asked every year since the show began in 2015. Even host Julia Morris says she’s been top of the wanted list since the first season.
Wendy Squires, KAK’s close friend who helped research her biography, fears she may not last long in the jungle, and points to the time KAK called a chopper to help her escape the famed (and luxurious) health retreat, Camp Eden on the Gold Coast.
“She’s never, ever gone camping in her life and always told me she’d never expose herself in this way. She must have negotiated a great package and some special conditions,” Wendy tells New Idea.

The social commentator also isn’t sure how well KAK will fare with having to do camp chores.
“This is a woman who joked she’d be happy if they painted on the hot plates on her stovetop, because she had no intention of ever using them!” she says. “I’m just hoping she might belt out a show tune or two.”
For more, pick up the latest issue of New Idea!