I’m a Celebrity viewers shocked as Nella Rose and Fred Sirieix reconcile after argument over ‘father’ comment

YouTube star Nella Rose and ‘First Dates’ maître d’ Fred Sirieix clashed on Tuesday night after chef made comment about ‘dead father’

I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! viewers have been stunned after contestants YouTuber Nella Rose and First Dates maître d’ Fred Sirieix seemed to reconcile after days of icy relations.

In scenes aired on Thursday night (23 November), Rose and Sirieix, who had not been talking at camp after the pair butted heads earlier this week, miraculously paired up to take on the opposing team in a challenge called “Slam Dunk’d”.

Rose volunteered to take part in the challenge with Sirieix offering to join her.

Sirieix said: “I’ll go, I’ll go with Nella. We’re going to go for the win.”

After the challenge was completed, viewers were surprised to see Rose and Sirieix embrace each other to celebrate their victorious win against Hollyoaks star Nick Pickard and JLS member Marvin Humes, who were both in the opposite Away team.

The reconciliation between Nella and Fred comes days after the two contestants avoided each other following a heated falling out earlier in the week.

In scenes aired on Tuesday’s episode, online content creator Rose had vowed she would not be friends with Sirieix after she expressed her distaste for a comment the First Dates star made in reference to his age.

While Sirieix was preparing food for the campmates’ dinner, he batted off compliments that he wasn’t “old” at age 51 by comparing his age to Nella’s. “Yeah, but I’m not 26 anymore, am I? I could be your dad,” he reasoned.

Rose and Sirieix embrace after finding out they had won the ‘Slam Dunk’d’ challenge (ITV)

“No, my dad was way older than you,” Rose replied, to which Sirieix stated: “Yeah, but I could still be your dad.”

Rose, who has over a million online followers on her YouTube channel and social media accounts, lost her father in 2020. Her mother died in 2016, when Rose was 19.

In a confessional segment to camera the following day, Rose explained that she felt bothered by Sirieix’s comment, and believed it to be an example of him disrespecting her.

She explained: “I didn’t say anything last night because I was kind of just annoyed about it. So, I slept on it, and I kind of thought about it and I was just like, ‘This is not the kind of person I want to be around.’”

At breakfast, Rose confronted Sirieix. After reminding the First Dates star that her parents have died, Rose said: “I’ve come to find out that every time I want to get creative around the fire or I want to have something my way, my own food that I’m entitled to my way, you tend to get an attitude.”

Fred Sirieix and Nella Rose on I’m a Celebrity (ITV)

She then explained that the comment had hurt her feelings and that she no longer wanted to eat food he’d prepared or build a relationship with him.

“To me, I don’t care how you said it – to me, that’s disrespectful, and I don’t want to talk to you,” she told the food connoisseur. “I don’t want to talk to you, I don’t want to be around you. I only allow people to disrespect me once.

“Don’t bring up my dead parent, are you stupid? ‘You know I could be your dad right?’ You’re a weirdo.”

She then accused Sirieix of treating her like a “little girl”.

Sirieix had previously been unaware of Rose’s feelings and began to apologise for offending her.

“First of all, I am sorry I have offended you. I am unaware that you felt offended,” he began. “I am unaware that what I said would lead to this conversation. I only said that in a way because I am older than you. I’m 51 and you’re 26.”

Sirieix added that Rose should have come to him about her concern much sooner.

Nella Rose on ‘I’m a Celebrity’ (ITV)

“You could have said straight away: ‘Excuse me Fred, this is upsetting me.’ If I made a faux pas, unwillingly, unconsciously, I am very sorry. But this was all it was,” he explained.

Ending their exchange, Rose stated that although she accepted his apology, she didn’t want to be friends.

Viewers of the ITV show were divided on the situation, with some criticising the influencer for misunderstanding Sirieix’s intentions.

Fred Sirieix photographed in 2021 (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

One viewer wrote on X/Twitter: “Nella love, Fred wasn’t trying to offend you about your dad. This isn’t about you or your Dad. If anything he was self-deprecating about his age and his ailing eyesight using a common catchphrase to do so. Am I missing something here?”

Others took the opportunity to defend Rose from abusive comments made by some viewers, and add possible context for her response.

“Even tho it was a bit OTT, I’m sure her reaction came from grief,” reads one tweet. “You lot using this to be racist, fatphobic and just vile are just very strange.”

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! airs Sunday to Friday at 9pm and Saturday at 9.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.