Owen Warner has revealed what might have been his true reason for signing up for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2022, admitting he simply wanted to meet Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

Considering the Hollyoaks actor has grown up watching the presenting duo on TV from childhood, who can blame him?

On this year’s series of I’m A Celeb, Owen won over the nation with his optimism, pure delight over the gruesome eating tasks and warm nature with his campmates.

While he made it all the way to the final, finishing in second place behind winner Jill Scott, the 23-year-old confessed that he originally thought he’d be one of the first contestants booted out of the jungle.

On Tuesday, he appeared on This Morning to chat to Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond about his experience, when he shared what was going through his mind when he first received the call to join the cast.

‘I went in there to meet Ant and Dec really,’ he said, as Dermot and Alison burst into laughter.

The actor fulfilled a childhood dream (Picture: Rex/ITV)

Owen was delighted for Lioness Jill to win the competition (Picture: James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock)

‘As a kid I’ve watched the show and I loved it. Ticking that off the bucket list, doing a trial, I was like, yeah, perfect. I thought I’d be one of the first out because no one even knows who I am.’

‘We do now!’ Alison responded, as Dermot remarked that while Hollyoaks fan would be aware of who Owen is, he wasn’t on the same level of fame as someone like Boy George, who ‘everyone’ would know.

Alison then chimed in to add: ‘It’s not about that, it’s about your personality. It really shone through.’

It’s been quite a shift for Owen to return to normality since leaving the jungle, getting back to the day job of portraying Romeo Nightingale on soap Hollyoaks.

Owen is back to playing the Hollyoaks character (Picture: Lime Pictures)

While the actor actually filmed a scene when he was still in Australia after I’m A Celebrity came to an end, he disclosed to Dermot and Alison that he was initially struggling to remember his lines when he first returned to the role.

Owen’s starred on Hollyoaks since 2018, which garnered him a win for Best Newcomer at the Digital Spy Reader Awards during the year of his debut.

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV. This Morning is available to watch on ITVX.

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‘I thought I’d be one of the first out because no one even knows who I am,’ the actor admitted.