‘He’s a gentleman, he’s always guided me’: Boxing star praises Barry McGuigan after I’m a Celeb knockout

A rising British boxing star helped by Barry McGuigan on his path to stardom has paid tribute to the Irish boxing icon following his exit from the I’m a Celebrity jungle.

McGuigan left the camp after a double elimination with Love Island star Maura Higgins on Thursday night (6 December).

It came after a controversial change in the show’s format, which saw some of the finalists selected through a series of challenges rather than a public vote.

The 63-year-old received widespread praise for his openness in talking about the death of his daughter, Danika, early on in the programme and was considered a favourite to win at the time.

But before his entry into the jungle, the ‘Clones Cyclone’ spent time mentoring emerging boxing talent, including undefeated champion, British-Pakistani star Adam Azim. McGuigan has previously said the young athlete was “destined for stardom”.

The sparky 22-year-old from Slough was first spotted by McGuigan and his son Shane when he sparred Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell aged 18. Under the guidance of father and son, Azim has gone from strength-to-strength, defeating Hackney’s Ohara Davies in October by knockout, and is scheduled to fight Sergey Lipinets for the IBO World Super Lightweight Title at the OVO Wembley Arena in February.

“When you look at Barry, he’s such a gentleman, but when you look at him in the ring, he’s a ferocious fighter,” Azim told The Independent.

“He’s always guided me, and given me advice on lifestyle and technique. He’s always taught me to never get distracted by people around me, and to stay committed.”

Praising McGuigan for his vulnerability on screen about the death of his daughter, Azim added: “It was a very emotional moment for him.”

Azim, who is the fastest British boxer to claim the Super Lightweight European title, said it was good for people to see another side to boxers.

“It’s good of him because most people don’t really get to see the other side of boxers and what they actually go through.

“They might have problems in their head, or people that they miss and they go through a lot in training camp. It’s good for other people to see because it shows that yes, he’s a ferocious fighter but he’s also a gentleman and family man with a kind, golden heart.”

Speaking about McGuigan’s elimination, Azim said “It’s upsetting. I only watched I’m a Celebrity because of Barry. Obviously, he’s done really well on the show.”

The boxer said McGuigan had shown his lighter side on the show too, saying “He’s quite funny. He’s obviously never been into the jungle before and he has bugs on him and has to adapt to the environment.

“They take away your phone. It’s good to watch him doing something other than boxing. I want to see the other side of Barry, where he’s having good fun out there.”

McGuigan, who remains a prominent figure and role model in the Irish community, also advised Azim on staying true to his roots as a British Pakistani boxer.

“He’s always said to me, ‘Look after the community, always remember your culture and everyone who comes and supports you’.”