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After more than a decade of memories, the farewell was a bittersweet one for beloved TV star Julia Morris.
As the Australian comedian prepared for the “new custodians” of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! – Channel Seven – to take over ownership of the popular franchise, she reflected on all the show had given her with a series of Instagram snaps taken over the years.
Declaring “homage must be paid”, Julia paid tribute to her former co-stars Robert Irwin and Dr Chris Brown – leading Robert to share that his experience on set had been “the best of times”.
“Your talent is legendary,” his mum Terri told Julia. “So many laughs!”
While the memories were fun, fans of the show shared their heartbreak over Julia’s departure as a host.
“It’ll never be the same,” former Gogglebox star Angie Kent lamented.
“You blazed the trail, the footprints you left are deep! The OG jungle Queen,” another fan wrote.
Now, insiders tell Woman’s Day just how “strange” this new chapter will be for Julia – as she prepares to watch the programme that was such a large part of her life morph into a new format away from the screens of Channel 10.
“Of course Julia is sad about not returning to I’m a Celebrity. That’s why she’s shared a series of photos on Instagram celebrating her time on the show with Dr Chris and Robert,” the source says, explaining that Julia and her co-stars had a “great time” working together and had “lovely memories”.
“The posts were a little bit of a ‘stuff you’ in Julia’s witty style,” the insider claims.
“Julia was keen to continue, and in a way she wanted to make a point of reminding everyone just how much she’s been a part of the show and what she brought to it.”
The source went on to explain that the situation was “not as simple” as just “saying goodbye and moving on”.
“There’s a bit of disappointment, and maybe some resentment, that she was ready to keep going but now has to watch it all unfold without her,” the source claims, while clarifying that Julia “isn’t someone who’s going to sit around dwelling on what’s been”.
“She’s got plenty of energy and a lot more she wants to do, and at the moment her focus is on her new Stan TV series,” the source continues, referring to Julia’s role in Stuck Up & Stupid, an eight-part contemporary screen adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for her to try something different and explore other sides of her personality.”
Indeed, the source says that this is just the beginning of “a whole new chapter” for the beloved comedian.
“She’s got so much experience in television and comedy, and there are bound to be other opportunities that come her way,” they add.
“There’s a sense that that Instagram post was also her way of having the final word – celebrating what she helped build, reminding people of the chemistry and the history, and perhaps sending a quiet message that she’s not simply going to disappear.”
