‘You can’t train to be chucked in a box full of rats!’ Ade Adepitan on fear, facing down sharks and being I’m a Celeb’s first wheelchair user

Paralympic medallist and presenter Ade Adepitan is set to become the first wheelchair user on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, prompting both excitement and ableist criticism online. He says taking part matters because seeing disabled people represented in mainstream television can challenge assumptions and help others feel less alone.

Adepitan, 53, contracted polio as an infant and has used a wheelchair for most of his life. He visited the Australian camp to advise producers on access, with different terrain, narrow paths and moving between his chair and other mobility aids among the challenges; he argues these adaptations are not an unfair advantage. He also draws on years of navigating barriers in London, including broken station lifts and taxis refusing to take him.