The I’m a Celeb winner returned to the Ginge Power Stadium as his team took on Little Lever
It was his first time back on home turf after three whirlwind weeks on the other side of the world. And what a homecoming it was.
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here winner Angry Ginge made history while in the ITV jungle as he became the first ever social media star to be crowned King of the jungle. On Saturday morning, December 13, the Salford-born streamer was met by adoring fans, young and old, at the Ginge Power Stadium in Westhoughton.
Standing at the touchline at the side of the pitch, he was back where he belongs, coaching his beloved team the Winton Wanderers. Arriving an hour before kick off against Little Lever, he was posing for pictures and signing autographs with eager fans.
The club’s main room was decked out with Australian themed balloons including massive spiders and flags, with the phrase: ‘Vote Ginge’ plastered on the wall. The support for the star didn’t end there, as one young lad gave him some rice and beans as a quirky play on the Jungle’s famous diet. Ginge responded in jokey fashion: “You b****rd!”
Throughout the game, Ginge – real name Morgan Burtwhistle – kept up the momentum, coaching from the side lines and subbing players on and off. At one stage, when one player was on the receiving end of a heavy tackle, Ginge ran over to help him up from the floor and walked him off the pitch.
One fan, who did not wish to be named, said: “He’s unbeaten. They (Winton Wanderers) won the league last year. He’s really down to Earth, I really like him.
“I used to play when I was younger, but after I moved to Westhoughton and saw these were playing round the corner and thought: ‘Why not?’ I go to watch them every week now.”
The game ended with the Wanderers scoring 1-0, to rapturous applause by fans. Ginge immediately ran onto the pitch to shake hand with both teams, and to thank the referee.
After speaking to the team in the changing room, Ginge came out to meet his fans, who had queued up to take pictures with him. At one stage, one young boy said he had a present for him, before flipping him a hand gesture. In jest, Ginge responded in similar fashion.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said: “Absolutely buzzing to be back. I’ve missed so much in life, the one thing I missed – apart from friends and family – is football. It’s so good to be back.
“I don’t think it’ll ever sink in. It’s just unthinkable that me who tweeted about it 12 years ago and I’ve gone on to not only go on it, but to win it – I don’t think it’ll ever sink in.”
Asked about which was better, today’s win or being crowned King of the Jungle, Ginge said: “It’s tough that because we’re on for a very good season at the minute. But I say, at the minute until we win the league, the Jungle.”
The 24-year-old Twitch streamer has become a TikTok sensation during his content creation career, and he quickly became a fan favourite on I’m A Celeb after it was revealed that he won the popular programme with a huge 65 per cent of the vote, ahead of runner-up Tom Read Wilson with 35 per cent of the final vote.
