The 42-year-old is looking forward to his stint in the jungle, but admitted one thing will make him emotional
Alan Halsall is one of the stars taking on the I’m A Celebrity challenge this year. The soap star, renowned for his role as Tyrone Dobbs on Coronation Street, is one of 10 celebrities currently confirmed for ITV’s toughest entertainment challenge.
Ant and Dec will welcome this year’s batch of celebrities into the Australian jungle with a special launch episode at 9pm tonight. Alan will be taking the I’m A Celebrity plunge alongside Coleen Rooney, Tulisa Contostavlos, Oti Mabuse, Jane Moore, Dean McCullough, Melvin Odoom, Barry McGuigan, GK Barry and Danny Jones.
Alan, who is 42-years-old, branded his participation in this year’s I’m A Celeb as the “worst kept secret” as he was forced to pull out of the 2023 season to have major knee surgery. The soap star has issued an update on his progress after he underwent ACL reconstruction surgery.
He said: “It was a bit of a shock when I got the knee injury last year and whilst I am signed off surgically, I still have several months of physio ahead of me. But a top football professional like Rodri, for example, would take about a year to get back to playing football (after something like I’ve had) and he has the best medical staff in the world.
He added: “So for your average Joe like me it is going to take longer.” Alan is following in the footsteps of his Corrie co-stars, Andy Whyment and Jennie McAlpine, and is hoping to enjoy a similar experiences as they did Down Under.
He said: “It’s a life experience and I am sure I will learn some new things about myself along the way too.” However, he said his co-stars weren’t able to give him any tips as he said: “I don’t think you can give a great deal of advice about something like this.
“I have been watching this every year it has been on, so I know what to expect!” Alan is a Coronation Street legend and his character remains at the forefront of the drama as his former love interest, Alina Pop, returned to the Cobbles briefly this year.
However, he heaped praises on show bosses for the way they have accommodated his time away from the show. Alan lifted the lid on his character’s near future as he said Tyrone may be enjoying a more settled period for the time-being but he has no intentions of departing the Cobbles.
He said: “Corrie has been fantastic with it all and I am definitely not leaving the soap. You just won’t see my character for a while on-screen.” Alan can’t wait to experience life in the jungle and said he has no phobias as he is up for whatever is thrown at him in camp .
Alan adopts a similar approach with his day job at Corrie, but he did tell the ECHO and other press about one thing he would flat out refuse to do. Alan is actually a massive Manchester United fan and joked how he pushed back on a pitch from a writer about the character’s Merseyside ties.
In response to a question from the ECHO about Tyrone’s Liverpool roots, the 42-year-old said: “We used to have a Scouse writer here who was a big Liverpool FC fan.
“He used to say I’m going to write Tyrone as a Liverpool FC fan. I was like, well, I’m not doing the scene. I can’t do it so I’m glad he’s a Weathy County fan”
Alan’s onscreen counterpart has strong Scouse roots as his mum is played by Claire Sweeney and he was introduced to the show as the son of Jackie Dobbs, played by Liverpool legend, Margi Clarke.
Claire arrived on the show last year as Tyrone’s estranged mum, Cassie, and Alan said his onscreen counterpart is currently in the process of rediscovering his identity. However, the actor wouldn’t go as far as to say that Tyrone is a Scouser as he joked: “I still don’t think he knows a great deal about who he is himself anyway. So he definitely doesn’t class himself as a Scouser.”
Alan has formed a close bond with the Brookside icon as she shared a message of support for him ahead of his stint in the jungle. She said on her Instagram account: “Can’t wait to watch my boy in the jungle on Sunday. He’s funny, kind, witty and very smart he’s my winner!”
On the screen, it has been teased that Claire’s character could soon become Steve McDonald’s love interest. Alan is also close friends with Steve McDonald star, Simon Gregson, and joked this development could be what prompts him to call time on his legendary role.
He said: “We have a great relationship and we wind each other up constantly, but having to call Steve McDonald ‘dad’ could be a real deal breaker.” He laughed as he added: “I feel a bit sick now.”
Off the screen, Alan is a dad to his daughter Sienna, who he shares with ex partner, Lucy Jo Hudson, renowned for her role in Hollyoaks. Alan said time away from Sienna will be the most difficult thing about being on the show as he says his one mission is to not embarrass her.
He said: “She has found the idea of me going difficult. It is only in the last two weeks or so that she has come around to the idea. We never spend more than two weeks apart. I am very emotional about Sienna, so it will be interesting to see how I cope.
“I tend to try to hide my emotions but with Sienna I’m not very good at all – I think I will have several blubs. She is 11 and so I’m hoping I won’t embarrass her.”
He added: “I appreciate this show can do a lot for people. But all I want to do is enjoy it. You are dealing with some big personalities in camp and I am just looking forward to having lots of fun.”
I’m A Celebrity gets started on ITV and ITVX at 9pm
