Former Newcastle United midfielder Kieron Dyer was struck by the semi-final curse again as he was booted out of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! on Saturday evening.
The 33-times capped England international left the jungle along with Hollyoaks actress Jorgie Porter in a double eviction on the penultimate day of this year’s edition of the hit ITV reality series.
Ferne McCann, Vicky Pattinson and George Shelley were voted through to Sunday’s final, leaving Dyer to relive the agony of falling just short during his playing days.
The 36-year-old experienced semi-final defeat three times as a Magpie – the 2000 and 2005 FA Cup and the 2004 UEFA Cup. He also lost with Ipswich Town in the 1999 First Division playoff semi-finals.
Dyer told Geordie presenters Ant & Dec upon his exit, via The Sun: “I’m competitive and you know from my Newcastle United days, I’m always losing in the semi-final and I thought am I really going to get the final? I’m disappointed but to come fourth, I would never have thought that going in there.”
Although he won’t be crowned King of the Jungle, Dyer perhaps earned a more morale victory by winning over a sceptical British public who likely had a bad perception of him before the show.
A gifted underachiever who spent much of his career plagued by injury and yet pocketing huge salaries at Newcastle, West Ham United and QPR. A a bad boy involved in spats with his teammates on the field and managers off it – that Dyer represented much of what is wrong with modern football.
But the Dyer we saw in the Australian outback was a chivalrous gentleman, a sensitive soul and more recently a prank-pulling entertainer that many on Twitter thought would have been a deserving winner.
Just spoke to Kieron Dyer following his exit from the Jungle! Told him he was an excellent camp mate and should have won! #topman
— Simon Milton (@Milts25) December 6, 2015
Kieron Dyer has squished that stereotype!
— TomMellor (@MellorFootball) December 5, 2015
#imaceleb just caught up as was out last night shame about Kieron Dyer going he is such a lovely man.
— Toni (@tonipotta) December 6, 2015
Just watched #ImACeleb, gutted for Kieron Dyer, seemed like a right good lad by the end!
— Mark Hogan (@markhogan365) December 6, 2015
@Milts25 @kieronDyer_uk did himself proud. Came across a genuine caring bloke.
— Stuart Hood (@StuartHood) December 6, 2015
Gutted to see Kieron Dyer leave the jungle, came across so well and deserved to get to the end! #ImACeleb
— Ben Young (@BJY81) December 6, 2015
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