What happened to Ruby Wax? Horse riding accident led I’m A Celebrity star to cancel shows

Ruby Wax is a part of the latest lineup of ITV’s I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. 

The American-British actress-comedian was confirmed as a contestant a few days before the premiere of the 25th series. Years before entering the Australian jungles for the survival reality show, Wax sustained severe injuries, forcing her to cancel her Edinburgh Fringe shows. 

According to the BBC, the then-66-year-old was on a holiday in August 2019 when she suffered a fall while horse riding. At the time, Ruby Wax was expected to perform her show How To Be Human at The Pleasance Grand between August 18 and 24. However, she had to cancel after she injured her back. 

The comedian expressed her disappointment in a statement while announcing her decision to withdraw from the shows while recovering. The Ruby Wax Meets… presenter said (via BBC): 

“I am hugely disappointed and so sorry to everyone who has bought tickets. My injuries are quite serious and I do need to take the time to heal and recover.” 

She added: 

“I've been coming to the Edinburgh Fringe with my shows for over 30 years and always had the most amazing time.”

According to The Herald Scotland, Ruby Wax had suffered back injuries and, after recovering, continued to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe in the coming years. Earlier this year, she took the stage for An Evening with Ruby Wax, per A Young(ish) Perspective. 

Ruby Wax recounts the O. J. Simpson interview on I’m A Celebrity 

The veteran comedian and TV presenter interviewed notable celebrities such as Madonna, Donald Trump, and Bill Cosby during the 1990s and 2000s. Among many of her memorable documentaries, Ruby Wax’s conversation with O.J. Simpson has been one of the most popular. 

The interview famously captured the American football player imitating stabbing with a banana, something Wax recently recounted on I’m A Celebrity. She discussed the same with English former soccer player and sports presenter Alex Scott and said: 

“Oh no, that was insane. Yeah, he tried to… Did you see it? Yeah, when he tried to kill me with the banana.”

Wax claimed that Simpson was teasing her with an insincere confession, as she added:

“He said, ‘I did it.’ And then went, ‘April Fools.’ Because he wanted to get caught. You know what, he couldn’t live with the guilt, so he was teasing the whole time. Teasing saying, ‘Come on, indict me.’ Yeah, some crazies.” 

She mentioned her Trump interview and claimed to have known what his brain is like, describing it as “insanity, anger, and arrogance.” Ruby added that Bill Cosby was insane, too.