Luke Bateman has spoken out about his crippling gambling addiction just prior to his I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! debut.
The former NRL and Bachelor star, 30, told News Corp that his addiction had cost him $500,000 during his playing career.
Speaking about his lowest point, Luke confided to the publication that he had considered taking his own life.
‘It was horrible,’ he said. ‘I was literally at the point of suicide. I was at the end of the tracks.’
Luke added that he was heartbroken by the pain his addiction had caused his family.
‘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,’ he said. ‘I was in a very, very dark place.’
Luke Bateman has spoken out about his crippling gambling addiction just prior to his I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! debut
Luke was announced as the first I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! contestant this week. Pictured: Hosts Robert Irwin and Julia Morris
Luke said that he eventually made the decision to get help because of his loved ones.
‘I knew that even though I was causing them pain, I knew that they would be in more pain without me. It was probably more so for them,’ he said.
It comes after Luke was announced as the first I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! contestant this week.
Sources close to the popular series told Daily Mail that producers are looking to Luke to provide some emotional heft in the normally light-hearted show.
It was suggested that Channel Ten is banking on Luke’s willingness to speak candidly about his gambling addiction and the raw, emotional toll it took on him and his family.
‘They’ve been looking for someone willing to really go there,’ a source close to casting claimed.
‘Luke didn’t hide anything. He was open from the start and producers were genuinely moved by how honest he was.’
While Luke has already built a profile through his sporting career, his run on The Bachelors, and his more recent social media fame, insiders insist it was his vulnerability, not his profile, that sealed the deal.
The former NRL and Bachelor star told News Corp that his addiction had cost him $500,000 during his playing career
‘It was horrible,’ he said. ‘I was literally at the point of suicide. I was at the end of the tracks’
‘When Ten reached out, he was incredibly raw,’ the source said.
‘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.’
While viewers tune in for the trials and jungle tantrums, the moments that make the series are the late-night campfire confessions, where exhausted contestants crack, drop the persona and reveal their innermost thoughts.
Unlike glossy shows where contestants arrive with carefully curated brands, I’m A Celebrity is designed to break people down.
‘It’s a pressure cooker,’ the insider said.
‘When you’re hungry, exhausted and emotional, you can’t fake it.’
The source added that viewers will connect with Luke’s authenticity on the show.
‘They know Australia connects to realness,’ the source claimed.
‘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,’ he added. ‘I was in a very, very dark place.’
Luke said that he eventually made the decision to get help because of his loved ones. ‘I knew that even though I was causing them pain, I knew that they would be in more pain without me. It was probably more so for them,’ he said
‘Luke’s story isn’t just entertainment. It’s something that’s going to hit people right in the heart.’
Daily Mail understands Ten is particularly eager to explore Luke’s gambling battle because it taps into a national issue affecting thousands of Australians and one that remains heavily stigmatised.
‘He’s lived it. He’s not preaching. He’s not performing. He’s speaking from experience,’ the source said.
And rather than leaning into a stereotypical ‘bad boy’ edit, sources say Luke’s storyline is being framed as accountability, recovery and resilience – the exact kind of redemption arc the show has successfully exploited for years.
‘It’s not about shock value,’ the source said. ‘It’s about redemption.’
‘People forget, the ones who go far aren’t always the biggest stars. The ones who make it to the end are the ones who are authentic.’
It comes after Luke broke down in tears after revealing how his crippling gambling addiction forced him to ask his mother to pay for his mortgage.
Speaking with A Current Affair in October, Luke, who previously revealed he was earning around $400,000 per season to play footy, explained that he could barely afford to buy groceries in the grip of his addiction.
I’m A Celebrity premieres Sunday at 7pm on Channel 10.
If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact Lifeline on 131 114, or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
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