Danny Cipriani has shared a cryptic quote after it was revealed he pulled out of starring from this year’s I’m A Celebrity amid the ongoing breakdown of his two-year marriage.
The ex-England fly-half, 36, was understood to be getting paid a six-figure sum to appear in the Jungle but, just days before the show was due to air, he announced the split from his wife Victoria.
And the sportsman took to his Instagram Stories on Saturday with an inspirational post focused on ‘following your heart’ and being ‘true to yourself’.
The post read: ‘There’s one thing I’ve always known, even when it was buried among the rubble of my mind – it’s better to follow your heart and be true to yourself than play by other people’s rules.
‘You might not be accepted by everyone but the rewards, when they finally come, will be so much sweeter than any trophy.’
Later he posted a second story with the message: ‘We are here to show each other God. The portal is each other.’
The star appears to be digging deep after a difficult period in his personal life.
Up until summer, all had been well in the marriage, but in September relations began to crumble after Victoria, 42, had reservations about some lurid content in his autobiography, friends of the couple told MailOnline.
Danny boasted about sleeping with three women a day ‘from porn stars to actresses to girls I meet at the coffee shop’ at a time when ‘threesomes became the norm’.
Since then, the couple have had a series of ‘difficult’ rows over text messages on his phone with Victoria growing ‘increasingly unhappy over the last few months’ and are said to have split, with divorce lawyers being called in.
His relationship problems appear to have scuppered the sportsman’s plans to enter the Jungle.
Sources at ITV confirmed in August the rugby star would appear on the show and that bosses at the channel were pulling out the stops to ensure he would do so.
In fact, his name even prompted other contestants to take part.
So it came as a surprise, then, when Danny was not announced as part of the official line-up for this series.
In August, a source said: ‘He will be the hunk of the lineup and already there is talk of him and shower scenes amongst staff working on the programme.
‘There is also huge anticipation that he will reveal secrets from his showbiz lifestyle, he has been linked to many women over the years, and his scandals are well documented too so there will be lots for him to share.
‘But he has a sense of humour too which will ensure he is both popular amongst his camp mates but also with those watching at home.
‘Danny might have settled down now but he is still wild at heart. There are high hopes that he will make it to the final.’
Danny- who has been linked to the likes of the late Caroline Flack, Lindsay Lohan and television presenter Kirsty Gallacher – was due to receive at least double what This Morning’s Josie Gibson is to be paid for appearing on I’m A Celebrity.
But it appears his ‘wild at heart’ ways have prevented this from happening and resulted in the breakdown of his marriage to the mental health campaigner who became a grandmother in 2020 – shortly before they married.
A friend told MailOnline: ‘Victoria knew dating a high-profile sportsman would mean an unwanted focus on their relationship.
‘However, some of the stories in Danny’s book, especially regarding his sex life with past lovers, were pretty hard to absorb when written down in black and white for everyone to see.’
The source added: ‘The marriage was never the same afterwards.’
Their marriage crumbled when she had to read sordid revelations of the rugby star’s sexual past in his autobiography, friends have claimed.
They called time on their relationship a fortnight ago following a series of ‘difficult’ rows over text messages on his phone, MailOnline exclusively revealed.
