I'm A Celebrity...

[RitaLittlewood]

So the 10 has-beens have been revealed. Ex-pop stars, soap stars, David Dickenson, the even more irritating Gilly Goolden. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Patsy

[jez]

I wont be watching

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[RitaLittlewood]

Neither will I.

Patsy

[jez]

The line up of celebs looks crap, worst than ever before.

[RitaLittlewood]

It is diabolical. And what the hell's Sheree Murphy doing there and her from Neighbours? Free trip to visit the rellies?

Patsy

[RitaLittlewood]

© ITV Network

I'M A CELEBRITY... GET ME OUT OF HERE! PRESS PACK


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Intro

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!
Nightly from Sunday November 20 at 9pm,
on ITV1, ITV2 and ITVi

It’s back to the jungle for a new crew of celebrities who will be facing their greatest fears and phobias when, for two weeks, they leave behind a life of luxury and comfort in exchange for extreme physical and mental challenges in the Australian rainforest - and all at the mercy of ITV viewers, 24/7. And this time round it promises to be tougher than ever!



Synopsis

Natalie shrieking; Brian walking; Janet arguing; Paul squealing and Joe winning. What will this year’s celebrities be remembered for in the new series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!?

Packing their rucksacks for the fifth series of the award-winning reality show will be:

• Former Blue singer Antony Costa
• Actor Kimberley Davies
• Antiques expert and TV presenter, David Dickinson
• Ex Atomic Kitten Jenny Frost
• Wine expert Jilly Goolden
• Actor Elaine Lordan
• Actor Sheree Murphy
• Entertainer Jimmy Osmond
• Actor Sid Owen
• Writer and broadcaster Carol Thatcher

The producers are determined to make sure that these celebrities head into the jungle with as few clues as possible as to what they could be facing. They have promised to really shake things up by including ‘The most absurd, unusual and horrific set of Bushtucker Trials that any of the celebs have ever faced’.

But it’s not just the terror of the Bushtucker Trials that the celebrities face on a daily basis. There will be hunger pangs; home sickness; starvation; boredom; the gruelling search for the Celebrity Chest; the viewers’ vote and, of course, the host of creepy crawlies that will live alongside the famous faces for a fortnight.

Co-executive producer, Richard Cowles says: “This year I’m A Celebrity… is all about surprises. From the moment the celebrities step into the helicopter and set off for camp they shouldn’t take anything for granted and they can expect things to be a lot tougher than anything they saw in previous years.

“It’s been a year since the last series aired and in that time the wildlife has definitely reclaimed its territory; as we prepared for the celebrities’ arrival we have found countless spiders and snakes in camp including two deadly Rough Scales.

“And the surprises won’t end in camp as we have some of the biggest, scariest and, in one or two cases, most ridiculous trials ever waiting to greet this year’s cast.”

Rachel Arnold, co-executive producer for I’m A Celebrity…, says: “This year’s line-up could prove to be our most controversial yet with a mix of dynamic personalities and contentious figures.

“We’ve always said that this show is based on the right mix of personalities and this year could well prove to be an explosive one. This time round the scariest element of jungle life for the celebs could well turn out to be their fellow contestants.”

Ant and Dec host the award-winning reality show on ITV1 which, over the past four series, has seen 39 celebrities set up camp in the jungle, four walkouts, two emus and a romance which led to one of the biggest celebrity weddings even seen in the UK – when Jordan married Peter Andre.

The 39 celebritiess have undergone over 60 Bushtucker Trials and the show has raised in excess of £4m for charity.

So just what will be in store this year?


I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! is an ITV production. ITV1 executive producers are Richard Cowles and Rachel Arnold. Series producers are Beth Dicks and Becca Walker.
ITV2 executive producer is Michelle Langer and Martin Dance is series producer.

ww.itv.com/celebrity

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! is sponsored by First Choice.
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Just can’t get enough? Switch on to ITV2

This year on ITV2, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here Now! will see the delectable Tara Palmer-Tomkinson joined by a new partner in crime, Matt Brown (Celebrity Love Island: Aftersun), to bring viewers their unique take on jungle life.

Their nightly show, following on from I’m A Celebrity… on ITV1, will feature:

• Exclusive live and uncut extra footage from the camp

• Dr Tara Palmer Dolittle’s Topical Menagerie, where the lovely Dr TPT prescribes her verdict on who’s hot and who’s not

• When the Celebs Are Away The PA’s Do Play, when Matt and Tara check up on the stars’ staff to make sure they’re not slacking

• And behind-the-scenes insights with a very special backstage reporter and running commentary from the Aussie crew with all the gossip, coming live from the jungle studio

Paul Burrell has also returned but this time as a special correspondent for ITV2 in I’m A Celebrity: Burrell Goes Back.

To help him overcome and face up to his own traumatic experience in the rainforest, Paul will introduce all the behind-the-scenes action and insider information to I’m A Celebrity… viewers. And he will sample the delights of this year’s jungle before the stars check into camp.

And, in a new week-night strand on ITV2, Jungle Drums will be the place where I’m A Celebrity… fans can air all of their controversial opinions on this year’s stars.

Think one of the celebrities is particularly irritating? Convinced another is being two-faced? Furious that someone has escaped a Bushtucker Trial? Jungle Drums - hosted by Andy Goldstein - will be the place to share it with the nation. It will be the forum tackling all the burning news, issues, gossip and reactions to the latest events in the Australian bush.

And viewers will be able to watch the live action from the camp down under into the wee small hours on ITV1 & ITV2 with live streaming throughout the night as well as live streaming each day on both channels.


ITV2 executive producer is Michelle Langer and Martin Dance is series producer.

ww.itv.com/celebrity

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! is sponsored by First Choice
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Cast & Characters

Name: Antony Costa
Age: 24
Celebrity supporters: Adela Silva, the boys from Blue, Paul Gascoigne
Fears and phobias: Spiders, rude and obnoxious people
Special skills: Singing, cleaning, dieting

Popstar Antony Costa decided to take part in I’m A Celebrity… in the hope that the public will get to see who he really is.

He says: “A lot of people have a bad perception of me. They think I’m a bit of an idiot, a bit of a dickhead, and I want to prove that I’m not. I’m just a nice, generous bloke who wants to have a laugh.

“This is something that I’ve thought long and hard about. This is time for me to shine. It’s time to show me as an individual.”

With plans for a solo career when he comes out of the jungle, Antony considers that perhaps he could also follow in the footsteps of jungle star Peter Andre, composing a song in the jungle.

“It’d be funny for all the I’m A Celebrity… people to come out and release a single together for Christmas, from having a little ging-gang-goolie around the camp fire. It’d definitely be something for people to watch. That would be hilarious!”

Having been in the boy band Blue for the past three years, Antony is well prepared for living in close proximity to other celebrities.

“I think it’s just going to be exciting. The main thing is for everyone to be up for having a laugh. I don’t want to bitch about anyone. If someone winds me up I’ll say it to their face. I’m not two-faced,” says Antony.

Antony is used to meeting new faces and he confesses his verdict will be based on the first handshake.

“If someone gives me a weak handshake then I think ‘Hmmm, you’re a bit suspect’. When someone shakes your hand and they look you in the eyes, that’s when they’re genuine. If they give you a weak handshake and turn the other way, they’re not.”

While he’s used to having lots of time on his hands when Blue were on tour, Antony won’t have his usual luxuries and home comforts around to help him cope with the boredom of jungle life.

“I’ll probably miss my DVDs the most - Only Fool’s And Horses especially. When I was away I used to take that with me and, if I’d be in Japan in some hotel with no English TV, I could put that on and think of home and relax.”

A staunch Tottenham Hotspurs fan, Antony is also concerned about missing his team’s matches and hopes that the I’m A Celebrity… producers will let him in on the results.

“I’ve got to be nice to the good I’m A Celebrity… people as Spurs have a game coming up against West Ham and I really want to know if we win or not.”

That’s not the only special occasion that Antony will be missing.

“It’s my girlfriend Adele’s birthday on the November 19 so that’s going to be hard for me. We’ve been together just over a year but I’ve got my fingers crossed that she might be coming out to support me.”

Antony isn’t too concerned about the jungle staple diet of rice and beans as he’s deprived himself of his favourite foods in the past.

“I’ll probably be hungry and I’ll probably be feeling a bit ratty but you’ve just got to deal with it. I’ve been on the Atkins Diet before and, trust me, I’ve definitely been ratty on that. I’ve prepared myself.”

Having been on some of the world’s longest roller-coasters, heights don’t bother Antony too much but he’s reluctant to admit any of his other fears.

“I’m not too worried about any Bushtucker Trials. I’m a bit wary of spiders because I’ve never seen any in that environment - you only ever see them on television. But hopefully I’ll learn a lot about the wildlife.”

The other celebrities will need to keep the camp spic-and-span if they want to impress him as he likes things kept in order. He says: “I’m a bit of a clean freak and I don’t like mess. My other habit - and I don’t think it’s bad - is that I’m always on time. I’m always up early and doing things so hopefully I might make people smile in the mornings.”

Having seen I’m A Celebrity… in the past Antony think he knows the trick to success in the jungle.

“All I’ve got to do is be myself, have a laugh and hopefully make people see the real me. I hope I’ll bring young energy, enjoyment and laughter to the camp.”

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Name: David ‘The Duke’ Dickinson
Age: 64
Celebrity supporters: Chris Moyles; Peter Stringfellow; Rolf Harris;
Claire Sweeney
Fears and phobias: Wallowing in mud; rats; heights
Special skills: Sunbathing

Antiques specialist and TV presenter David Dickinson is clearly a man who doesn’t take himself too seriously - he knows exactly what he’ll be doing to ease the boredom he’ll face in the jungle.

David, famous for his mahogany tan, says: “I’ll be out looking for the cracks in the canopy where the sun comes through, so I can top up my tan. I’d be alright at that. I mean, I know I’m in a rainforest where it will be pretty dark but you can bet your life the Duke will be looking for a spot where the rays will cascade through the branches.

“You will find me in my hammock there with the Ambre Solaire. It’s hard work topping up the tan during the day you know - it’s a skill!”

He is also on a mission to prove a point that he’s no antique himself and can compete against the younger male celebrities in the jungle.

David says: “There are times when you think to yourself ‘Can I step up to the plate and be counted?’ because you know there’s going to be a lot of young blokes in there. They’ll be as fit as a fiddle - fit as a butcher’s dog. And there’s me, 64 and older, a pensioner next year.

“I’m not saying I’ll be showing them but I’ll be doing my best to hold my end up. There are certain things I won’t be able to do, and perhaps physically I am not able to do, but I will try my best.”

David adds that he will be chivalrous towards the ladies in the jungle: “I wouldn’t expect girls to do something which is a bit too heavy, but I’d expect them to pitch in and do their share and the same with the boys.”

David readily admits where he may come unstuck is if one of his fellow celebrities annoys him. His wife of 36 years, Lorne, has told him how to manage it so as not to embarrass the family.

“Her indoors said ‘For goodness sake David, just bite your lip. If someone gets really annoying, bite your lip. Don’t show them at home you’ve got a temper or anything like that’.

“I don’t know if I’ll be good at that but I’ll find out when I get in there...I think you’ll always get a few people who will be shirking their share. I think that will be annoying.”

Referring to his previous TV series, Dealing With Dickinson, David says that he’s not exactly known for holding his tongue.

“I did get a little bit angry in that show. I had to use some ‘F’ words. Lorne’s warned me not to swear on the challenge whatever I do.”

David is unsure how he’ll react to what jungle life throws at him. He says: “I’ve never actually been flung out of an aeroplane or thrown into a crocodile pool or had rats go over my toes, so I can’t tell you how I’ll be until it happens.

“I have no game plan. I know some of them are going in with game plans like we should do this or we should do that, but I haven’t got a clue. I’m just going to go in and be myself and try and be as pleasant as I can and as helpful to everybody.”

David also admits that it isn’t just the challenge of surviving the jungle that convinced him to take part in the show but the added bonus of a detox that he won’t have to pay for!

He says: “The challenge will be interesting to see just what you’re really about. Can you do anything? Can you do it with a smile no matter how rotten it is?

“You know, another thing is some people go to a health farm and pay a couple of thousand pounds. I could lose a stone and detox the system and get some rays. I mean, some might say he’s only going for the rays. Well, some might be half right on that!”

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Name: Jenny Frost
Age: 27
Celebrity supporters: Davinia Taylor, Sophie McDonnell, Liz McClarnon, Natasha Hamilton
Fears and phobias: Heights, belly-buttons
Special skills: Listening, singing, cooking rice, creating jungle outfits


Popstar Jenny Frost thinks that she will be the resident foxy lady in this year’s line-up of jungle celebrities.

“If I had to be an animal in the jungle I think I’d be a fox. I was told I looked like one because I have a pointy chin. That’s what my fiancé Dom says!”

One of the most difficult things the celebrities have to cope with in camp is boredom and Jenny has come up with an original way to pass the time: “I thought I might kill and cook one of the other contestants. I don’t know who, it depends who looks the juiciest! Whoever’s got the fattest bum, and I hope it’s not me.”

Jenny has watched all of the previous series of I’m A Celebrity… and particularly admired the way that Jordan handled herself during the trials and tribulations of camp life.

“I really liked watching Jordan on it because I think everyone had such preconceived ideas about her and she came across really well on it. I thought she was really ballsy.

“I think if I could sort of be like anybody in the trials I’d like to be like her because she just got stuck into it and I thought she was quite brave. I’ve not got legs like hers and I wouldn’t want to give Peter Andre one, but apart from that hopefully I’ll be as ballsy as her.”

Jenny’s deciding factor for taking part in the show was that she actually had some time to spare from her usual hectic schedule.

“I’ve always watched the show and thought it looked really good fun. You sit at home and think ‘Oh God, I could do that’ and I’m not sure I can actually do it now it’s becoming a reality. I’ve never had time before now and it’s something I really want to do.”

While Jenny hopes to bravely face any task that is put before her, she has got one particular fear. But it is one that she has faced before...

“I’m scared of heights. I was at the top of a cliff once in Cape Town, and I was supposed to abseil down it. I said to my friend ‘I’ll go first because if I don’t go now I’ll never go’. As I was about to go over the edge I said to my boyfriend of the time - Jamie, who is still one of my good friends now - ‘I can’t do it, I can’t do it!’

“He called me a chicken so I went ‘Right! That’s it!’ and I went over the edge.

“I’ve got a quite a rational fear of most things. I’m also not great with insects, rats, snakes or spiders - anything really!”

The model and singer has promised her mum that she’s going to try and curb the bad language while she is in the jungle.

“I’d like to try and curb my tongue a bit. One of my main reasons for going is to try and stop myself swearing so much. If I swear the amount I swear now, when I get out my mum and nana will batter me,” she says.

Jenny’s got a few worries about living with a group of other celebrities and thinks that there are a few personality traits that could annoy her: “I don’t like bossy people. When I was at school apparently I had a problem with authority. I think that’s carried through to adult life now. So I’m not very good at being told what to do at all.

“I don’t like wimpy, crying people and I don’t like snorers.”

However, she readily admits that she’s got habits of her own that might annoy the other celebrities, as pointed out by her long-term fiancé Dom.

“He has told me not to sneeze in there because I’ve got an annoying sneeze. It’s very high pitched and he says if I sneeze I’ll get kicked out straight away.”

Dom has been helping Jenny prepare for I’m A Celebrity… by giving her a few tips on how to brush up her culinary skills.

“I know how to cook rice because Dom has given me a rice-cooking lesson. He said I’m not going on national TV and showing him up for not being able to cook rice. Maybe if I get bored I’ll also be able to make camp look a bit nicer by making things out of stuff that I find. I’m quite creative and good at making outfits.”

While the nature of the food and rations in the jungle might affect some celebrities, Jenny’s not fazed: “Let’s face it I’m not going to starve so I’ll be fine!”

Apart from her fiancé, her friends and her puppy, George, Jenny is going to miss her home comforts: “I’m going to miss that beautiful walk from the sofa to the fridge and back again that I love so much. I should be sat on my sofa with a bottle of wine and a big bar of chocolate watching people going through hell, not doing it myself!”

While she is up for anything that the jungle can throw at her, Jenny doesn’t think of herself as an outdoors type of girl.

“The only time I’ve ever been camping is at festivals like V and Glastonbury and then you get a bit drunk and go to sleep. I don’t know how I’ll do it sober in the jungle,” she says.

Describing herself as loyal, silly, fun and snappy, Jenny thinks that she might surprise some viewers with her antics.

“Atomic Kitten fans won’t be surprised because they know I’m a bit naughty and daft but other people might be pleasantly surprised as you can’t tell what people are like just from seeing their picture in magazines.

“Then again they might think ‘What a gobby Northerner!’”

As for her fellow celebrities, they might just be surprised by another of Jenny’s fears. She explains: “I really, really, really hate belly-buttons. I’ve got a completely irrational fear of them, they make me feel sick.

“I don’t like anybody touching my belly-button and it’s like I will vomit on you if you touch my belly-button, plus I find it painful. It’s not a funny thing, I’m not joking I don’t like belly-buttons at all.”

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Name: Jilly Goolden
Age: 40-something
Supporters: My children: Auriel, Phillip and Verity
Fears and phobias: Living without mascara, male chauvinists
Special Skills: Wine tasting, mothering


Food and wine expert Jilly Goolden is on the warpath, set to take on any male chauvinists that she finds in camp.

“I think if men don’t treat women as equals they deserve to be kneecapped. If there’s any equipment I’ll probably kneecap them!”

She finds the prospect of being on camera 24 hours-a-day more terrifying than the jungle’s snakes and spiders. In fact, her biggest concern is that she’s going to have to completely abandon her beauty regime. But, on the plus side she muses, the public may not recognise her as a result.

She says: “I lie awake at night and I’m terrified about so many things. All sorts of things worry me, living without mascara being one of them.”

“Make-up will be a serious miss. I think it’s tough on women and being blonde it’s a terrible problem because I’ve also got white eyelashes and I’m going to look like a white mouse most of the time.”

However, she’s up for the challenge and has a romantic view of life in camp: “I like the cosiness of everyone sitting around the fire and chatting and it all looks kind of groovy. Some of the challenges look like fun and I’m quite an adventurer.”

In fact, Jilly is no stranger to challenge and adventure and her achievements include mountain climbing, racing round Silverstone and bobsleighing on the Olympic track in Lillihammer.

“I love the unknown and the thrill of the strange - the unusual and the adventurous - so I’ll be up for it. I have great hopes that this is an opportunity to plumb my unknown depths. I think that this is hugely exciting. It’s a kind of voyage of self discovery.”

Jilly is looking forward to showing the public what she’s really like having admired the way that Jordan revealed different sides to her personality in the jungle.

She says: “Katie Price came forward as such a strong character and I rooted for her. I think people have a preconceived idea about what I’m like and I think my screen persona is brittle. I think I come across as someone who’s terribly strident and maybe a bit tough but I’m really a little soft teddy bear, a pushover.”

She does admit though that it will take a while for her to feel at home with the other celebrities: “I’m quite shy and diffident about meeting new people. I’m rather a disappointingly modest person in those circumstances. They might not even notice I’m there for a day or two.”

While she describes herself as a teddy bear, she says she’s not going to cut the other celebrities much slack if they don’t pull their weight.

“I think you’ve got to be a team player. People might be a bit wimpy and maybe not contribute as much as they should, and that would be tiresome. But I’m hoping they will bring out my maternal instinct and I’ll win them round.”

Jilly’s three children Phillip, 14, Verity, 19, and Auriel, 21, are all supporting her, but Phillip has concerns about his mother embarrassing him on national TV.

“He’s worried about people at school - what they will say, what they will think. I just have to try and be a credit to them. Imagine the embarrassment you could cause though, in a thong, manicuring your toenails or something!”

Best known for her verbose opinions of food and drink, Jilly will be casting her well-honed palette aside to gratefully relish any sip of wine, be it full-bodied, oakey, or even with a whiff of vinegar. However, her enthusiasm falters when she considers meal times in the jungle.

“If there is wine I would be eternally grateful. I wouldn’t care what it was like. I rather expect the food is going to be an issue for me and I think I’ll be appalled by lots of the things we’re offered. I’ll just eat rice and beans.”

Apart from that Jilly is calm and unruffled about the experience ahead and keen to stress that there will be no whining!

“I hate looking like nuts which I know I will, but I’m a very earthy person and I don’t care at all about mucking in and getting my hands dirty - I’ll enjoy it.”

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[RitaLittlewood]

Name: Elaine Lordan
Age: 39
Fears and phobias: Sleeping outdoors, finding a rat in her bed, finding out one of the celebrities is a rat
Special skills: Mothering and affection

Former EastEnders actress Elaine Lordan admits to being a massive fan of the hit reality show, I’m A Celebrity… and of one celebrity contestant in particular - Jordan!

Elaine says: “I thought that she was just fantastic on the show. She was brilliant. She did everything that was asked of her and she should have won that series. I’m quite a fan of Jordan’s to be honest. I really am. I just think she’s fab.”

However, she’s under no illusions that she’ll be able to rival Jordan’s give-it-a-go attitude on the edible Bushtucker Trials.

”Let’s just say there will be no stars in the camp that day! I’m not sure about kangaroos’ little bits, and fish eyes…I can’t eat a fish eye, I could not do that and I admire Jordan enormously for that.”

She’s also definitely not a fan of camping: “I camped when I was about 10 and hated it, so I expect the jungle to be a very big challenge.”

Elaine admits that adventure is certainly not her middle name. She says: “Prior to this the most adventurous thing I’ve done is play on an adventure playground on one of the rope swings!”

Elaine adds: “It’s been quite a difficult year and it will be an adventure for me.”

Having lived under the media spotlight during her four-year stint on EastEnders, Elaine’s concern about living under the eye of the viewers 24/7 is certainly not how she’ll look!

“I’m going to look like shite! Well I’m going to feel like it. Oh I suppose we’re just all going to stink and look awful. I don’t care about that to be honest with you. I’m not particularly vain.”

She jokingly adds: “No, no I think I’m rather gorgeous actually, I think I’ve got dark colouring. Most people say I’m more attractive without make-up.”

One thing Elaine knows she won’t do is react to the cameras like a well-known celeb from the previous series. Elaine comments: “Well I’m not going to do a Janet Street-Porter and just have a moment. I mean, you sign up for 24/7 to have a camera on you. I mean, what can you do about it?”

Elaine is convinced that she’ll be the mother of the camp, but that won’t involve actually looking after people, more looking out for them.

She says: “I’m either going to be very motherly or the baby of the camp - the little wimpy one that everybody has to go ‘Oh God!’…

“When I said motherly I meant more giving people cuddles… My partner does all the cooking at home. I can only do a nice boiled egg! But I can’t stand bullying - so, if anyone’s being picked on I’ll stand up for them whether I like them or not. I’m like a lion - they’re very protective of their cubs.”

No stranger to controversy nor one to shy-off speaking her mind, Elaine hasn’t any plans to hold her tongue if any of her fellow celebrities irritate her and prefers to tackle annoyances head on.

“Living 24/7 with people you don’t know is going to be interesting. I’m sure I’m going to end up best mates with some of them, and end up just hating some of them. Or maybe that’s a bit presumptuous of me to say?

“But, certainly if somebody irritates me I’m not slow at coming forward. If somebody’s annoying me I will definitely say it to their face. I wouldn’t go and bitch to somebody else in the camp and say ‘Ooh that’s really annoyed me’. I would say it to them. Yeah, I don’t do behind-the-back stuff.”

Aside from her son and partner the one thing Elaine will miss while being in the jungle is the TV!

Elaine adds: “I’ll miss television - isn’t that sad? Isn’t that sad? I’m going to miss watching the show!“

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Name: Sheree Murphy
Age: 30
Celebrity supporters: Husband Harry Kewell, Daniella Westbrook,
the cast of Emmerdale
Fears and phobias: Heights, flying, birds, wasps, flies, mice, creepy crawlies, camping
Special skills: Tap dancing, mediating in arguments


Emmerdale star Sheree Murphy is absolutely petrified about going into the jungle, but she’s got her biggest fear to overcome before she even steps on Australian soil.

Sheree says: “Firstly, I hate flying and I’ve never flown to Australia before because I’m too scared. I’ve got some strong tablets to knock me out. Everyone’s asking what I’ll be scared of but all I can think of is the flight.”

A lady who loves the finer things in life, it’s not going to be easy once she arrives, and Sheree is rightly concerned about how she will cope with camping in the depths of the jungle.

“I’ve never been camping before in my life. It just doesn’t interest me and I’d rather go to a hotel. Honestly, I’m going to be petrified at night. I couldn’t even sleep in our garden if you asked me to because I’d be scared. Sleeping outside is going to be the worst thing.”

A fan of previous series of I’m A Celebrity…, Sheree’s favourite jungle personalities were Jordan, Peter and Natalie Appleton.

“They stick out because they were entertaining. That’s why I decided to go in - because I thought it would be fun to do and a good laugh. I love meeting new people and I hope we’ll get a good mix.

“I’m quite mischievous and so I’ll probably stick with people that are quite naughty and have a bit of fun. We can play games and do stupid things - I’m definitely up for a laugh.”

Sheree is hoping that she won’t annoy the other celebs, though she is more than prepared to stand up for herself if anyone else gets on her nerves.

“I think I’ve got quite a cackle of a laugh which might be a bit annoying for people, so if someone funny is in there then I’ll be guaranteed to laugh and you’ll hear this cackle ringing through the jungle!

“My nightmare scenario would be for one of the other celebrities to has a personality that is really fiery and argumentative. If they’re a bit nuts I’d be scared to sleep at night because you don’t know how they’re going to react. But my main problem is moaners - I can’t bear them.”

Best known for her portrayal of character Tricia in Emmerdale, Sheree is hoping that the public get a chance to see what she is really like.

“My character was quite ditzy and stupid and obviously I don’t think I am! People also look at me just as a footballer’s wife so it would be nice for them to see the real me.

“I honestly am a pretty normal person and people will get to know that I’m quite down to earth and come from a normal, ordinary background.”

While her husband Harry and two children, Taylor, four, and Ruby, two, are supporting Sheree, Harry has also been worrying about his wife and giving her some tips.

“Every night my husband remembers another Bushtucker Trial that we watched and he’s getting worried for me because he knows how rubbish I am at things like that. He’s just telling me to try everything. But you don’t know until you’re in that situation and, honestly, I go nuts if there’s even a fly in the kitchen.

“I don’t like anything like flies. I hate birds. I hate mice. Basically anything that moves quicker than I do. I’m really petrified of heights as well which is why I keep thinking to myself, ‘What am I doing?’!”

Sheree is going struggle with being so far away from her family and is also going to find it difficult being away from her favourite shops.

“Apart from my friends and family I’m going to miss shopping, which is my hobby! I’m definitely going to miss my bed as well because it’s so comfortable.”

Unlike some of the other celebrities, Sheree is looking at the jungle diet as a positive thing.

“I’m always trying to do diets so I’m just looking at it like a detox diet,” she says.

She has only one aim though, and surprisingly, it’s not to win.

“The only thing I don’t want is to be is booted out first. I’d be gutted if I was. I’m not bothered about winning, I just want to make everyone at home proud of me.”

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Name: Sid Owen
Age: 33
Celebrity supporters: Patsy Palmer
Fears and phobias: Most of the trials, heights, confrontation
Special skills: Cooking


Actor Sid Owen is in a unique position as he embarks on his I’m A Celebrity… adventure - his former on-screen ‘wife’ has also taken part in the award-winning ITV show.

Danniella Westbrook, who played Sam Mitchell in EastEnders, famously broke down and walked out of the jungle in series two.

Sid says: “I watched her a lot on the show. I watched all of the first and second series and was glued to them.”

Referring to newspaper reports that Danniella has been quoted saying ‘Don’t do the show’, Sid adds: “At the end of the day that’s her personal opinion. It wasn’t for her, it wasn’t for Natalie Appleton, but I’m looking forward to it though I know it’s going to be tough.”

However, his second on-screen wife, Patsy Palmer, whose character Bianca Jackson shouted his character’s name ‘Rickaaaaay’ into soap history, has given him the thumbs-up to take part.

Sid is taking his preparation for life in the jungle seriously and has been spending a lot of time at the gym and is prepared for the hunger that is very much a part of camp life.

He comments: “I’ve actually fasted before a few times. I’ve gone 10 days without food - without eating anything. I do a detox a couple of times a year, just for myself. Just water and the detox drink…I like to think I’ve got will-power. I’ve done it a few times now.

“Before I go in I’ll eat less, like I am now. I’m trying to shrink my stomach. As long as you have loads of water you’re okay. You’ve just got to eat light - I’m a picker anyway, I don’t really eat big. Since I started fasting for my detox I can’t eat big amounts. I go to the gym when I can be bothered, but at the moment I’m going four or five-times-a-week in preparation.”

He also confesses that another of the downsides of jungle life - boredom - is one of the reasons he’s taking part in the show.

Sid says: “It’s another adventure in my life, I’m sitting around doing nothing at the moment getting bored and I do like to take on silly adventures and this is just another one.

“Watching the celebrities is really entertaining. I think it’s probably the best reality show out there and that’s why I’m doing it really. It’s a great adventure.”

Sid goes on to explain his adventurous side: “I’ve jumped out of a plane, I’ve bungeed and I swam with sharks. I do those sorts of things to overcome my fears. I think you have to push yourself.”

Although uncertain how he’ll feel about the constant glare of the cameras, Sid is in no doubt about how he’ll react if any of his fellow celebs step out of line.

He says: “I’m going to be a little bit tense and nervous at first but providing you can get on with people and forget the cameras are there then it should be fine.

“If someone’s in the wrong then I’m going to speak my mind, but I’ll do anything I can to avoid it. I’ll just let people get on with it. I’m not confrontational at all but if someone’s out of order to someone or with me then I’ve got to either sort it out or smooth it over. Or, if they’re really out of order or horrible, then I will give them a bit of my sharp tongue.”

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Name: Jimmy Osmond
Age: 42
Celebrity supporters: Shane Richie, Billy Pearce, The Osmond Family
Fears and phobias: Heights, camping
Special skills: Performing, eating Haagan Dazs ice cream

One of the legendary Osmonds, Jimmy has grown up since the age of three surrounded by celebrities so he isn’t fazed at all about his impending jungle experience - although he has never seen the show.

“I didn’t want to see a lot of the show because I probably wouldn’t do it otherwise. The other night I was talking to a close friend of mine about it and he was like ‘You don’t have a clue of what you’re getting into’.”

Jimmy is well prepared for the experience as his travels around the world have allowed him to try the culinary delights of many cultures. A particularly memorable occasion was in Japan where he was served up a platter of white mice.

There is a bit of extra culinary preparation that Jimmy is fitting into his busy schedule though.

“I’m trying to eat all the Haagan Dazs I can as they’ll deprive me for several weeks. Chocolate Chip is my favourite!”

Jimmy is looking forward to meeting a new group of people and hopes that he can use some of the many skills that he has developed through his life in entertainment.

“I’ve had to work with people my whole life and try to deal with their personalities. They’re all the same if you peel off the layers, so hopefully some of these people will try to be real and be themselves. Hopefully we can have some fun and people will let their guard down and just be who they are.”

A devoted family man, Jimmy is going to find it hard to be parted from his wife, Michelle, and four children who usually travel everywhere with him.

“I’ll miss my family more than anything - I’m like a helicopter dad as I hover to make sure they’re having fun. I can do it, I’m not totally a wimp, but their lives and impressions are so vivid in my brain that I don’t need a picture to remind me. Fortunately in my life I have the opportunity to do things only if I want to do them and if I can bring the family with me.”

And he will miss Thanksgiving - the big traditional holiday in US - but he won’t be too upset.

“I grew up on the road and working as hard as I have, and when you’re involved in variety television, you do make sacrifices like missing holidays. I’ve learned to try to have fun and enjoy every day I have,” he says.

Despite looking forward to the challenge, Jimmy is utterly convinced that he’ll be the first one to be voted off: “I don’t know why I say that. It’s down to public opinion and what they feel. I have no preconceived notions going into this thing.

“I said before, if I never perform another day in my life I still will have been a very fulfilled individual for what I have achieved and I think my priorities are right. But I don’t have any aspirations that that will be the case.

“I think there are a lot more interesting people in the world than me, and I’m not a ‘shock’ person; you get what you get with me. I make no bones of what I believe in and what my priorities are in my life and, for me, showbiz is a hobby even though I do it all the time.

“I think I’ve always looked at it in that way. That way it stays healthy and, though the public can hurt you, I know what my priorities are. This is a business and the world we live in. I’m taking as much fun as everyone else.”

Jimmy is hoping that his upbringing will put him in good stead, and not just because of being the youngest in a family of nine children, making him very much a team player:

“We used to have a ranch with horses and cows. I’ve had to get my hands dirty. My dad is an old cowboy so he made sure we weren’t prima donna guys. He wanted us to get dirty and made sure that we did! I think at the end of the day, you don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to but I’ll give it a go and give it my best if I can. I won’t be a wimp about it”.

Not a fan of confrontation, Jimmy usually deals with stress by drawing. However, he won’t be allowed to in the jungle and so instead will resort to a very un-American trait to deal with annoyances.

“I’m pretty sarcastic and it will be the time to be sarcastic, but in a funny way. Sometimes people don’t like it, but I’m one of those guys that I have to be honest about how I feel and I try to disguise it in humour or in a nice way. You can look at my face and know if something is bugging me, I just can’t hide it.”

Explaining his reasons for taking part in I’m A Celebrity…, Jimmy says: “This is a personal thing for me just to see how I do and really just to try and enjoy this experience.

“I’m hoping I’ll bring something of value to the show. I’ve been offered other shows and this is the biggest one of its kind, from what I understand, and the classiest one so I’m excited that I was offered this opportunity.

“Also it’s in another country so if I’m really bad then I can just go home!”

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Name: Carol Thatcher
Age: The wrong side of 50
Celebrity supporters: Baroness Thatcher
Fears and phobias: Rice and beans
Special skills: Astronomy, spirited debating, washing up, listening


Broadcaster, journalist and mad-keen traveller, Carol Thatcher is keen to stress that while she is no Iron Lady, she’s hopeful that she’ll come away from camp with a novel idea for a new pair of stilettos.

“I promise I won’t be the Iron Lady Junior,” she reveals, “Which, with my genes, some people might be surprised. You’ll get no party political broadcasts from me and I’m more than happy to be bossed around rather than be bossy. Although, if I manage to skin a crocodile for my new pair of stilettos I hope everyone will be impressed and know I’m a chip off the old block.”

A self-confessed insomniac, Carol is going into the jungle with an irrepressible sense of spirit and good humour and is set to tackle everything in her path with a direct forthrightness.

“Obviously some people are going to throw wobblies but it’s a very interesting exercise in human behaviour and self discipline. The point is you don’t know who’s there and by the time you do it’s too late and we could be strangling each other within 24 hours!”

Carol readily admits that it’s going to be impossible to have any vanity in the jungle and she lets slip that there is a close relative who probably wouldn’t cope with the situation quite so well.

“I haven’t told my mother. I think she’ll think ‘Rather her than me’. She wouldn’t like to give up that hairdo and power heels to be in I’m A Celebrity... She’s not a natural camper herself. I think she’ll probably be very critical - I can’t say it’s her sort of show so I might just tell her that I’ve done it when I get back.

“I think vanity has to go out the window. Every hour is going to look like an advertisement for the ‘before’ on a makeover.”

She isn’t at all concerned about what people think about her famous mother.

“I’ve had decades of experience in having a politician for a mother. I’m quite used to people saying they think she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread or they think she’s ruined the country. Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

Having lived in Australia before, Carol doesn’t expect to be homesick but confesses that her last experience down under was a slightly more cosmopolitan one. She is under no illusions about jungle hospitality, and predicts she will hate rice and beans for the rest of her life after this experience.

“When I lived there, I lived slightly closer to the wine bars and watering holes and Sydney Harbour. I’m looking at this as a volunteer-hostage-meets-health-farm experience. It’s not going to be a fine dining experience. I’m immensely greedy and I’m hoping to come out at least a few kilos lighter and having lost some cellulite.”

A passionate traveller, Carol views the jungle as just another adventure and hopes that her experience will help her to cheer up any of the other celebrities that might be feeling panicked about being so far from home.

“I don’t like people to be unhappy and if they’re miserable I hope I shall be sympathetic, cheering up and consoling. I also think I’ll be the washing-up attendant. I’m very prepared to be flexible. If someone doesn’t want to clean the loos out on their day I’m quite happy to do it. I can clean a loo.”

As someone who doesn’t complain much herself, Carol’s sympathetic approach may not be one that all will respond well to: “What can you say but ‘Listen, your relatives back home would quite like some of this 30 degree heat. Stop whinging!’”

Despite a phobia for most creepy crawlies, Carol will try anything once and isn’t fazed by the prospect of doing a Bushtucker Trial.

She says: “I think it might be faintly unpleasant but I don’t think they’re out to kill you. I intend to wear my long trousers tucked into my socks and just see how it goes.”

She’s also got a novel way of keeping fit in the jungle: “I thought a spot of water aerobics in the river might keep the muscle from fossilising.”

With a mother in politics Carol knows how to dodge the question of whether she thinks she could become Queen of the Jungle.

“That’s a decision for the voting viewers and I have the utmost respect for the verdict of the voters. If some of them like to vote that one’s doing an okay job, I should be delighted.”

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[RitaLittlewood]

Name: Kimberley Davies
Age: 32
Fears and phobias: Snakes
Special skills: Team player and a diplomat


Best known to UK audiences as Annalise Hartman from Neighbours, blonde bombshell Kimberley Davies admits she doesn’t have a clue as to what to expect on entering the jungle.

“All I know is that this show can be life changing, a challenge and that those who have gone on the show previously come out with a new respect for life - well at least food. Although I live in Australia, where the show is based, it has never been on our screens,” she says.

Although she is a local, home-grown talent Kimberley doesn’t think that this will give her any particular advantage over her fellow celebrities as they prepare to leave their lives of luxury for the extreme physical and mental challenges of the Australian rainforest.

“As an Australian I’m lucky that I have done a lot of camping here but I suspect nothing on the scale to what I’m going to face in the jungle. I don’t think that is going to be any advantage over any of the other contestants, just because I grew up here.

“I think it is down to what you, as a person, can bring to the jungle and not what country you grew up in. It was an experience that as an adult I just couldn’t turn down.”

She is certainly no stranger to taking on new adventures and has in the past undertaken the Variety Club Rally, which involved 10 days of racing through the Australian desert in vintage cars. She also joined the circus to learn high-wire walking - helping her overcome her fear of heights.

Kimberley will be relying on the fact that she is a mother to two young toddlers as her preparation for the physical demands of camp life.

“I’m pretty fit, although I don’t know cardio wise how fit I am. I’ve not been to the gym for about a year, since having my son. However, looking after two young children keeps me on my toes and hopefully fit enough to cope with the jungle.”

Aside from missing her surgeon husband, Jason, and two children - Isabella, two and Joshua, one, Kimberley admits she’ll probably be grumpy first thing in the morning without her coffee fix.

“I’ll miss coffee and food. I absolutely adore my food and am eating everything at just the thought of going hungry. I don’t know how I’ll survive on nothing.”

However, if she does get grumpy, Kimberley has a plan to cheer up herself and her fellow contestants.

She says: “I love playing games, especially charades. I’m completely obsessed with playing them so will get everyone playing, whether they like it or not!

“I consider myself a team player so it’ll be ideal to get everyone round the fire to play. I tell it like it is and I’ll give all the info upfront. What that person does with it is down to them. I’m also fairly diplomatic unless I don’t like the person involved!”

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Credits & Contacts

I’m A Celebrity… fans given 24 hour access to the jungle

ITV has today announced a range of new interactive services which will complement the programming on ITV1 and ITV2 to give viewers constant access to the new series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

ITV’s groundbreaking mobile portal will showcase up-to-date exclusive content, including news from the jungle, interviews with the celebrity presenters and pictures. Fans will also be able to share news and views using a new mobile video blog service which will allow them to leave messages for the show.

For the first time, there will be a dedicated 3G mobile video service which will enable 3G subscribers to see streamed live action from the jungle on their mobile, edited highlights and interviews with celebrity presenters.

Fans of the show will also be able to sign up for daily news text alerts, and purchase clips, ringtones and games by texting the word “mobile” to 63330.

In another first, online at www.itv.com/celebrity, there will be streamed action from eight in the morning to eight at night, as well as an archive of memorable clips, latest news, games, pictures, competitions, in-depth information on the contestants and the ability to vote.

Using the red button on their remote control, viewers will be able to get news updates, vote for the Bushtucker Trials and who will leave the jungle. There will also be celebrity biographies and regularly updated content.

Jane Marshall, Commercial Development Director at ITV Consumer, said:

“Our new services are about putting the viewer first, making it as easy as possible for them to interact in whichever way they choose, be it through their TV, their mobile, the Internet or their red button twenty-four hours a day.

“ITV has driven the take-up of interactive TV through mass voting and now we can offer viewers even better services and content through our mobile portal – plus live 3G mobile and online streaming available for the first time on this show.

“ITV is in a great position to benefit from the growing demand for mobile and online content by delivering news, clips and other info linked to some of our most popular shows, as well as live streamed content. Viewers can expect more announcements shortly about other great ITV programmes and services available on their mobile.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

ITV has established ITV Consumer (ITVC) to build businesses which create and monetise direct consumer relationships for ITV. Led by Jeff Henry, it is expanding ITV’s family of channels to encompass mobile, broadband and other services. Coming soon to ITV Mobile will be exclusive content from This Morning and Coronation Street.

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‘I’d like a flight to Spain and some oven-baked worms please!’


Holidaymakers visiting their local First Choice Travel Shop or First Choice Holiday Hypermarket over the next few weeks may have a shock when they are asked to participate in a Bushtucker Trial.

Shops up and down the country will be serving up a range of delicacies from around the world including real oven-baked worms, Thai Green Curry-flavoured crickets and sun-dried caterpillars among other things.

A former I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! star will kick-off all the action - details to follow soon.

[jez]

Sounds rubbish.

[sootycat]

I have to say I am looking forward to this, Celebrity Jungle and Big Brother being the only reality programmes I watch.

As with every one there are a couple I would rather not see, David Dickinson being one of them.
And I reckon Carol Thatcher will be the 'Christine Hamilton' type.

[RitaLittlewood]

I can't help wondering what the ratings will be this time with so many irritating people in there. David Dickenson will probably be turned into chips if he says, 'Cheap as chips' once too often. Now I'd watch that. Cooked in his own oil. LOL!

Patsy

[pengirl]

I love watching this, I just wish it were possible to be more cruel! ;D

LOL Im not really this evil, only between 6 and 7pm!

[jez]

Thank god my DVD set arrived just in time so I can watch that instead.

[RitaLittlewood]

What are you going to do when you've got through all the eps, Jezziekins, and it's still on?

Patsy

[RitaLittlewood]

LOL Pen! Do you watch the ITV2 stuff too?

Patsy