Harry Redknapp’s Off-Camera Life: From Horror Crash to Wrongful Arrest
Harry Redknapp, 79, returns to television for the second series of I’m A Celeb… South Africa. The first episode airs on April 6, 2026. Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly will host the spin-off.
Return to the jungle
Redknapp competed in the main I’m A Celebrity series in 2018. He was crowned King of the Jungle that year. The South Africa edition reunites past campmates and former winners.
The roster includes Scarlett Moffatt, Beverley Callard and Jimmy Bullard. Myleene Klass was the first Jungle Legend in 2023.
Early football life and career
He was spotted aged 11 by Tottenham scout Dickie Walker. He moved through Tottenham’s youth system. At 15 he joined West Ham United’s youth ranks.
He played for AFC Bournemouth and the Seattle Sounders. He also represented England at youth level at 17.
Managerial record
Redknapp made his name as a manager. His clubs include AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United. He also managed Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers and Birmingham City.
The 1990 crash
In 1990 he was travelling to the World Cup in Italy. A minibus he was in collided with a car carrying Italian soldiers. Bournemouth managing director Brian Tiler, who sat in Redknapp’s usual seat, died in the crash.
Redknapp suffered a fractured skull, broken nose and cracked ribs. He also endured a severe leg wound and lost his sense of smell. He recovered and left Bournemouth the following season.
Legal troubles and exoneration
Footage in 2006 prompted FA scrutiny over an approach to a player. In 2007 City of London Police arrested him on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. He was released without charge.
The High Court later criticised the police action as unacceptable. Redknapp received £1,000 in damages. The force was ordered to pay his legal costs.
Family and private life
He met Sandra Harris at The Two Puddings pub in Stratford when they were both 17. They married in 1967 and remain together. The couple are approaching their 60th anniversary.
They have two sons, Jamie, 52, and Mark, 56. Jamie pursued a football career and was once married to pop star Louise. Redknapp is also the uncle of Frank Lampard.
Public comments and home life
Sandra has long avoided the football spotlight. Redknapp has credited that distance with helping their marriage. He has spoken about the couple’s easy division of interests.
Reflections on fame and the jungle
Off-camera life for Redknapp includes highs and lows. He has described serious moments like the horror crash and the experience of a wrongful arrest. Yet he also recalls fun times on reality television.
He said the jungle felt tougher than he expected. He once went days with very little food. Still, he praised fellow contestants and the show’s camaraderie.
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