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Former NRL star and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! contestant Luke Bateman is getting candid about the gambling addiction that left him contemplating suicide.
The former Canberra Raiders player – who earned around $400,000 per season at the height of his footy career – frittered around $500k away on his crippling habit.
“It was horrible,” the now BookTok star who grew up on a cattle station in WA told News.com.au in a new interview.
“I was literally at the point of suicide. I was at the end of the tracks.”
Such was the grip gambling had on him, Luke was forced to ask his mother to pay his mortgage.
“I literally had no money. I was earning $400,000 a year and I couldn’t buy groceries,” he said in a September 2025 interview with Triple J podcast, Hack. “It was debilitating and horrible.”
“I think when I was in that place I … caused a lot of pain, a lot of misery to my loved ones and my family,” he explained to News.com.au.
“I was like, well I can end my own pain and I can also end all the pain that I’m causing my loved ones.
“I would not wish it upon my worst enemy,” he continued. “I was in a very, very dark place.”
In the end, the star said thinking of his family led him to seek help.
“I knew that even though I was causing them pain, I knew that they would be in more pain without me,” he explained, adding that he entered rehab and is now finally in a “good place”.
Luke is one of a slew of celebrities now testing their mettle in the African jungle for I’m A Celebrity 2026.
“I’ll be going into the jungle representing my charity, Farm Angels, which is a charity very close to my heart,” he explained in a social media post announcing his involvement.
The small charity supports Australian farmers and their communities with meaningful and personalised assistance.
“They do amazing work in my community and I’m very excited to see what [hosts] Robert and Julia have cooked up for me,” Luke added.
“I’m sure there’ll be some delectable food items and some fear-instilling trials. I can’t wait. I’ll see you all in the jungle.”
A source told Daily Mail that producers were keen to include Luke in the show due to his willingness to speak candidly about his addiction.
“They’ve been looking for someone willing to really go there,” the insider said.
“Luke didn’t hide anything. He was open from the start and producers were genuinely moved by how honest he was.”
“When Ten reached out, he was incredibly raw,” the source continued.
“He didn’t try to polish it or sugar-coat his past. He spoke about gambling, how destructive it became and how much it cost him. That level of honesty is rare.”
If you or someone you know needs support, help is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.
