Chapter Text
The jungle feels almost quiet after the chaos of the I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Celebrity Cyclone. Hours ago they were slipping down inflatable slides, being blasted with foam cannons and giant balls while screaming and laughing. Now the final four sit around the campfire in damp clothes, hair still crusted with coloured powder and soap suds. The crew have just dropped off letters. Not full letters, just little jungle notes. The camp goes immediately soft. Everyone sits up straighter.
“Right,” one of the other celebs says, holding the small stack. “We’ll read them out like always.”
Adeline sits cross-legged on the log, still buzzing from adrenaline and exhaustion. Her hoodie sleeves are shoved over her hands, chin tucked in. Being a chart-topping singer means she’s used to huge crowds, arenas, screaming fans, but this? This jungle camp has stripped everyone down to something simpler. The first note gets read.
“Your team won three-nil this weekend-” The footballer across the fire whoops. The next one.
“Your niece’s ballet recital went brilliantly. She got the lead part.” Someone wipes their eyes immediately.
Adeline smiles warmly, clapping softly for each one. Then someone picks up the last card. “Right… this one’s for you.”
She perks up. “Oh god. If it’s music charts I don’t want to know,” she groans.
Everyone laughs. The other celebrity clears their throat dramatically. “Okay.” They start reading. “‘Figure skating update.’”
She freezes. “…Wait.”
The camp bursts into laughter. “You asked for this?” someone says.
“Yes!” she blurts instantly, suddenly wide awake. “Yes, yes, yes- carry on.”
The reader continues. “Ilia Malinin has won the ISU Grand Prix Final.”
She slaps both hands over her mouth. “No he did not.”
The others immediately start laughing again. She leans forward like someone about to hear the ending of a thriller. “Read the rest!”
The celebrity grins and continues. “He landed seven quads in the free program.”
Adeline falls backwards off the log. The entire camp erupts. “SEVEN?!” she yells from the dirt. She scrambles back up, eyes wide. “That’s insane! That’s actually insane!”
“Wait, there’s more.”
She clutches her head. “No. No. Don’t say that like that.”
They read again. “He set a new world record score.”
She makes a noise that is somewhere between a scream and a laugh. “You’re joking!”
She’s pacing now. Actually pacing around the fire like she’s watching the skate live. “That program must’ve been mental. Seven quads? Who even does that?”
Someone asks cautiously, “Is this normal behaviour?”
“No!” she says immediately. “That’s why it’s amazing!”
The celebrity flips the card to the last line. “Oh, okay. Final bit. He’s officially been selected for 2026 Winter Olympics Team USA.”
Adeline lets out a full jungle scream. “YES!” She jumps into the arms of the nearest campmate like they personally coached him. “OH MY GOD.”
The whole camp is laughing now. “You don’t even know him! And you're British!”
“I DON’T CARE,” she says breathlessly. She’s grinning so hard her cheeks hurt. “That man is rewriting figure skating.”
Someone nudges her. “So… if he wins the Olympics are we getting this reaction again?”
“Worse,” she says immediately.
Meanwhile, across the ocean in the United States, Ilia has just finished training. His phone is exploding. Notifications, tags, messages.
His friend leans over his shoulder. “Dude… why are you trending in the UK?”
Ilia blinks. “What?”
Another notification, a clip. The title reads: 'British pop star loses her mind over Ilia Malinin in the jungle.'
He frowns slightly. “…What jungle?”
The video opens. A muddy jungle camp, a singer he vaguely recognises screaming 'YES' and celebrating like she just watched him land the program live. The subtitles read: 'SEVEN QUADS?!'
Ilia stares at the screen. “…Who is that?”
His friend squints. “Oh that's Adeline, she’s a huge singer in the UK.”
Ilia watches the clip again. Then again. Then he laughs. “…That’s actually kind of awesome.”
More notifications arrive. People tagging him in the clip from I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! One comment reads, “You’ve got a fan in the jungle.”
Ilia grins. “Guess I do.”
Adeline becomes queen of the Jungle a few days later. On her way to the hotel, her best friend who met her at the end of the bridge has a surprise for her.
“Your reaction to Ilia landing seven quads gained a lot of traction.” Her best friend says, smiling. “Look who reached out.”
Adeline's eye's widen. “No.” She says in disbelief as her best friend pulls out her phone.
A video appears. It’s filmed inside an ice rink, someone standing by the boards. Adeline leans forward and then she recognises him. Her brain short circuits. On the screen, Ilia Malinin waves awkwardly. “Hey.”
“OH MY GOD.”
Ilia continues. “So… apparently I’m big news in the jungle.”
Adeline is already halfway to hyperventilating.
“I saw the clip from I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! of you reacting to news my Grand Prix skate.” He smiles a little. “Thanks for the support. That was… a very enthusiastic reaction.”
She's shaking her head in disbelief. “No way.”
“I’m getting ready for the 2026 Winter Olympics right now.” Ilia gestures to the rink behind him. “I heard you’re a big skating fan.” He pauses. “So if you ever want to come watch in person… you’re officially invited.”
Ilia shrugs slightly. “Hope to meet you one day.”
The video ends. Silence. For half a second. Then she screams. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! This is the best day of my life!”