I'm A Celeb star GK Barry's real name, net worth and famous girlfriend

I'm A Celebrity is almost back on our screens with Ant and Dec set to welcome most of the campmates on Sunday night. Among the stars entering the Australian jungle this year is GK Barry.

But how much do you know about the star? GK rose to fame

Post school, GK pursued film studies at Nottingham Trent University and it was during her student life that she began posting on TikTok.

GK initially gained popularity due to her humorous videos on TikTok and in the early stages shared snippets of her life as a student in the UK. She now boasts over 3.6m followers.

She also has 879k followers on Instagram where she posts more glamorous updates

In addition to her social media presence, GK has been hosting the Saving Grace podcast since April 2022

GK is also the youngest panellist on Loose Women and appeared on Don't Look Down for Stand Up To Cancer. The Channel 4 show, hosted by Paddy McGuinnes saw a team of celebs head to the Alps to master the art of highwire walking, before tackling it at a London landmark.

But what else do we know about the star?

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Below we look at her real name, where she grew up and her famous girlfriend.

GK Barry's real name

GK was born in Cambridge as Grace Eleanor Keeling. She used her initials to created GK, and took inspiration for her fake surname from her best friend.

While having a chat with Kiss FM, she joked: "I know, all my [...] contracts are to Grace Barry and I thought if you guys ever try and sue me it's not my name."

Although born in England, her family relocated to the British Virgin Islands when she was two. They returned to the UK when she was eight years old.

GK's famous girlfriend

GK is in a relationship with English footballer Ella Rutherford, who is a striker for Charlton Athletic. The pair have been together since the summer after have reportedly met each other's family and holidayed together.

Before heading off to I'm A Celeb, Grace sent Ella a bouquet of flowers with a note that read: "I miss you my little pea head angel. I love you." GK has opened up about their relationship on her social media platforms several times, including in her series of videos where she 'cooks for her wife as a WAG' and posting a picture of herself donning a jersey with Ella's name at the back.

She also responded to rumours they'd secretly tied the knot in August. “I feel like Molly Mae,” the video was captioned, and began with a screenshot of the article in question, which reads: GK cooks for ‘wife’.

“For the life of me, I can’t be f****** a****,” Barry said. “I’ve woken up this morning… The Sun have said I’ve got f**king married. I haven’t got married. I just wanted to cook chicken tacos for my girlfriend. How does that mean we’ve [eloped]?"

She added that the article was sure to cause “rifts” within her family who might wrongly assume she had indeed got married.

GK Barry's

Regarding net worth, following her debut on Loose Women and securing a spot on an ITV hit show, GK's earnings are expected to soar.

Speaking to the Mirror, PR expert Kaley Cornelius from Betfred shared insights about GK's potential financial trajectory: "Grace's appearance on Loose Women is likely just the beginning of the opportunities that will come her way. Her ability to captivate audiences, combined with her quick wit, makes her exactly the kind of talent producers crave and if the demand for her continues, she will be on track to reach seven-figure earnings within the next year."

Why did you sign up for Don’t Look Down?

Funnily enough, I actually didn’t want to do it because I’m afraid of heights. I’ve got emetophobia as well, a fear of sick. If I’m scared and I feel sick, I’m out, I’m fully out. My manager said, “Do you know what, if you’re going to do anything and conquer anything, this [show] is what’s going to do it for you.” Ultimately, yes it was a show to help conquer my fears, but it was also for a special and important cause which means a lot to me.

So, you have a fear of heights. How bad is it?

I won’t go two steps up a ladder. I’m scared of flying. I like to be in control, and I like to have my feet on the ground. If humans were meant to be up high, we’d be able to fly. We can’t, so we should not be off the ground. That is my logic!

Do you have any pre-existing skills that might help you on the high wire?

I need to get this clear: I don’t do exercise, I don’t have balance, I can’t dance. My skill is just being funny – that’s all I’ve got. So, in answer to the question, I have zero pre-existing skills!

What did your friends and family think about you doing it?

They all thought I was absolutely mad because they knew how scared I was. They thought, second day in, I’d be getting a plane home – and I did consider that, I’ll be honest. When everyone was getting the walk on the beginner’s wire, I was the only one not getting it. I was getting upset because I just couldn’t do it, and I was like, “I’m just not made for it, I’m not going to do it.” Then the next day, I went in with a positive mindset and smashed it out the park.

Did you do any preparations for the show before starting training?

I got life insurance, and I wrote my will. That’s not a joke, I wrote my will before I came here – dramatic [laughs].

leaving everything to her mum

My first experience of cancer was a neighbour we were really close to in my village - they got lung cancer and died within months. My dad’s parents both passed away from cancer when he was younger. My boyfriend’s grandad’s going through it. And I’ve got a friend who has come through treatment and is in recovery now. It’s just an awful disease which impacts so many.

What’s next for you?

I do love what I’m doing and love the audience I’ve built and what we’ve created; I have a lot of fun. That said, I would love to be a television presenter. I want to be Stacey Dooley with a dirtier mouth and a flatter arse [laughs].