The 44-year-old radio host shared details of his mother Linda’s health problems on his show on a number of occasions before he agreed to take part in the ITV reality series. 

The celebrity’s 66-year-old mother suffers from Multiple sclerosis, a debilitating condition that causes problems with the brain and/or spinal cord, which led to her placement in a care home eight years ago.

Now, a source for the hopeful has revealed that the main reason he decided to plunge himself into the competition was for the sizeable fee to help pay for the costs of Linda’s care. 

“His mum’s care home costs are a great concern for Iain. He’ll be able to use a proportion of his jungle fee to stabilise the situation,” the insider told The Sun. 

They added: “He’s made no secret of the fact he can’t wait to get home to his boys but knowing the money will be a huge help to his mum is stopping him from walking out.”

Speaking on his show last year, the star explained to listeners that Linda had tried to cope with the situation herself, saying: “My mum has been in a care home for eight years and she’s 65. She’s got really bad MS, she can’t do anything, she’s incontinent, she can’t stand or walk or feed herself and is completely dependent.

“She had £350,000 in her bank account – my kids’ inheritance – and she had to pay for her care. It’s just under £1500 a week. Imagine that. She has burnt through the majority of that £350,000 in eight years so you do the math.”

Meanwhile, the camp-favourite has been at the centre of a social media row over his treatment in the show, as some fans accused his team of “bullying” him. 

The tense atmosphere exploded when Iain and boxer Amir Khan, 30, decided to eat the strawberries and cream prize from a Dingo Dollar challenge last week. 

With a divide between the group already in place, the feelings only intensified when Iain failed to complete his next attempt at winning treats for the camp alongside politician Stanley Johnson, 77. 

Despite knowing he’d been crippled by a fear of heights, Rebekah Vardy had shown little sympathy for her rival, stating: “I think he’s a guy that’s struggling, but that doesn’t excuse bad behaviour and I won’t tolerate it.”

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! continues tonight at 9pm on ITV.