£1m pay cheque for king Joe

He had been out of work for the last three months.

Now crowned King of the Jungle, life is going to get a lot busier for Joe Pasquale.

Following in the footsteps of previous winners of I'm A Celebrity ...Get Me Out Of Here! such as Kerry Katona and Tony Blackburn, the 43-year-old comic is likely to make at least £ 1million over the next few months from endorsement deals and TV shows.

Producers of the West End show Chicago are keen to secure his services - ironically, he was rejected for the part of lawyer Billy Flynn a year ago.

He is also considering offers to present a game show, star in a one-man comedy programme and even appear in a sit-com.

'Joe is a very versatile entertainer and will try his hand at anything,' said his tour manager Ray Tizzard. 'If he doesn't make a million in the next six months I will be very surprised.' In

addition, Jacob's Cream Crackers are interested in signing a deal with Pasquale after his continual use of the word 'Jacobs' to describe a certain part of his anatomy became one of the show's catchphrases.

Sales of crackers have soared in the last few weeks and the company is considering securing the comedian to promote their forthcoming 120th anniversary.

Pasquale's likely riches are a far cry from the world he left behind.

At the Unilever margarine factory in Grays, Essex, where he once worked and which still employs his brother Paul, there were celebrations at his victory.

Paul said: 'Joe is such a nice guy - he really does have a heart of gold.

'He always deserved to win. He had such a good attitude all the way through and, unlike some people, he never slagged anyone off.'

Pasquale beat finalists Paul Burrell and Fran Cosgrave on Monday night watched by a peak of 12million viewers - the highest audience for an entertainment show on any channel this year.

He endeared himself to the public with his zany sense of humour and by bonding with the Queensland camp's pet emus.