Frankie Dettori subject of 'little syndicate' ahead of I'm a Celebrity appearance

Detorri is already in Australia, having jetted out to the country for the recent Melbourne Cup.

He has stayed Down Under to meet ITV chiefs ahead of the opening episode of I'm a Celeb, which is due to be screened on November 19.

Buick knows Dettori well and now, speaking to OLBG, he's revealed he'll be setting up a 'syndicate' to keep the horse racing icon on the show for as long as possible.

"I think it is absolutely great. I am definitely going to watch it," he said.

"I watched it last year and really enjoyed it.

"Matt Hancock (Newmarket MP and former Health Secretary) was on and that was the main reason I watched.

"Frankie told me about going on the show when we were riding in Santa Anita.

"I said to him I was going to set up a little syndicate who would all vote for him to keep him in the jungle for as long as possible.

"He said, 'Yeah yeah good idea!!’

"He said the producers told him that he would come back seven pounds lighter than when he goes in.

"I’m not sure how that will work because there’s not much of Frankie at the best of times!

"He will be great. It will be good for the sport and the profile.

"It needs all the help it can get at the moment. It will be good fun.

"He is putting himself out there and fair play to him."

GB News presenter Nigel Farage is also set to appear on the show, too.

Dettori won't be the only sporting figure to go into the jungle, with former boxer Tony Bellew primed to go on.

Other celebrities set to feature include Grace Dent, Josie Gibson, Danielle Harold, Marvin Humes, Nick Pickard, Nella Rose, Fred Sirieix and Jamie Lynn Spears.

Meanwhile, Dettori had initially been expected to retire in December.

But he confirmed he would be performing a U-turn in October, saying: “I am simply not ready to retire completely.

“I’m still enjoying riding and want to carry on for a while on the international circuit.”

He added: “The news is, after lots of speculation and talking to my wife and parents and close friends, I didn’t realise this year was going to end up like this, and so...I’m not ready to retire.

"I’ve still got it in me to carry on a bit longer.

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“Obviously I’ve told everyone over the past year that I’d be staying my last goodbyes on the tracks.

"But I feel like I can do a bit more in the US.

"I had an absolutely amazing time there last winter.

"That’s it, basically.”