From Council Estate to Crown: How AngryGinge Became the Most Unlikely King in I’m A Celebrity History
When Morgan Burtwistle — known to millions as AngryGinge — stepped out of the Australian jungle wearing a flower crown and climbing into a stretch Hummer, the moment felt surreal even to him. The roar of the crowd, the confetti, the 65% landslide vote that secured his win — all of it was a world away from the cramped bedroom in Eccles where he once streamed games to a handful of viewers.
For a generation of young fans, he’s their first “digital-era” King of the Jungle.
For older viewers, he was the wildcard that somehow became the heart of the show.
And for Ginge himself, the win is simply “madness.”
🔹 A Life That Started With Struggle
Ginge’s rise wasn’t built on privilege.
He grew up on a council estate in Greater Manchester, raised by his mum Michelle — a single parent who juggled three jobs to keep the lights on for him and his sister, Tasha. He remembers putting coins into the electricity meter so the power wouldn’t cut out, and walking to school with holes in his trainers because replacing them wasn’t an option.
When finances collapsed and the family home had to be sold, he moved in with his nan Julie — a woman he still calls “my biggest hero.”
Despite the hardship, Ginge insists he carries no resentment:
“What we had wasn’t much, but it made me who I am.”
🔹 From School Kitchen to Full-Time Creator
Before fame, before millions of followers, Ginge earned £450 a month as a dinner assistant at Clarendon Road Primary — jokingly calling himself “the dinner lady with a beard.” He handed £200 to his nan for rent and tried to stretch the remaining £250 across an entire month.
But every night after work, he streamed.
And little by little, with raw humour, chaotic reactions, and his signature explosive rants, he built a community.
In January 2021, he took the risk that changed everything:
He quit the school kitchen and became a full-time streamer.
Today, his channels reach millions worldwide — but he still laughs at the idea of fame:
“I’m just a lad who shouts at FIFA.”
🔹 The Shock Star of the Jungle
When ITV announced his casting, many traditional viewers didn’t even know who he was. But once inside camp, Ginge flipped expectations completely.
He tackled every eating trial with absolute commitment, bursting into tears at emotional moments, and quickly forming genuine connections with campmates like Ruby Wax, Lisa Riley, and Aitch.
Producers credit him for pulling an enormous youth audience to the show — the final drew a record-breaking 74% of 16–34-year-olds, a demographic the series had struggled to capture for years.
Even seasoned viewers found themselves warming to him.
His vulnerability, his humour, and his unfiltered honesty turned him from outsider to favourite almost overnight.
🔹 A Landslide Victory — And a Tearful Reunion
Ginge’s win wasn’t close. With 65% of the final vote, he dominated the competition, beating Tom Read Wilson (25%) and Shona McGarty (third place) by a massive margin.
When his mum and sister ran onto the bridge to meet him, he collapsed into tears — his walls crumbling in seconds.
He later admitted:
“I’d have done the whole thing again just to see their faces at the end.”
🔹 Fame, Deals… and Nan Comes First
Now, offers are pouring in:
-
TV projects
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A renewed Red Bull partnership
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A potential presenting role
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Brand deals worth millions
Insiders predict he could make £5 million in 2026.
But Ginge only wants one thing right now:
“A brew with my nan, proper food with mum, and a bit of FIFA. That’s me.”
For a young man who went from council estate to crowned champion, humility remains his most surprising — and most endearing — trait.
🔹 The King Who Never Asked for a Crown
He didn’t walk into the jungle expecting to win.
He didn’t expect older viewers to embrace him.
He didn’t expect to become the emotional core of the series.
But his story — rough-edged, real, and deeply human — resonated across generations.
From minimum-wage school worker
→ to viral streamer
→ to national treasure
→ to King of the Jungle.
Morgan “AngryGinge” Burtwistle didn’t just win a TV show.
He won the hearts of a country that saw itself reflected in his story.