DEC Donnelly needed medical attention after being bitten by a spider while working on I’m A Celebrity.

The 49-year-old presenter was checked over by specialists backstage to ensure it wasn’t poisonous.

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AntMcPartlin and Declan Donnelly hosting I’m A Celebrity in AustraliaCredit: Eroteme

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Jungle spiders are common on the setCredit: ITV
Dec opened up about the scary experience during a chat with fans on Instagram live last night.

His co-host Ant McPartlin told fans: “We’ve had quite a lot of drama not only on the show, but off the show as well, because Dec had a spider on his neck and was bitten by a spider and the medic was called in to have a look.”

Dec then shared a picture of the spider he was bitten by – saying it jumped onto his script before biting his neck.

Making light of the nasty bite, Dec joked: “The medic said I was lucky to be alive.

“If I wasn’t so fit and healthy, and masculine, I might not have survived.”

Rubbishing Dec’s claims, Ant added: “No, she didn’t, she said it was a jumping spider and it was absolutely fine.”

Ant and Dec have been presenting I’m A Celebrity in Australia since 2002.

There are around 10,000 species of spiders in Australia – and many have a fearsome reputation.

Jumping spider bites are rare, but not venomous.

Their bites may cause redness, itching, stinging and swelling.

Jumping spiders earned their name because they can jump between ten and 40 times their body length.

Medic Bob is often seen on-screen treating celebrities with jungle health emergencies.

He has been involved in memorable I’m A Celeb moments, such as removing a cockroach from Fatima Whitbread’s nose in 2011.

He has also helped remove the same creepy crawly from the ear of Harry Redknapp (2019), Sam Quek (2016), and Matthew Wright (2013).

Another iconic moment was when he rushed to the aid of TV personality Gillian McKeith when she fainted during a live show in 2010.