The personal struggles and secret heartache behind this season’s cast of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! have been kept under wraps, until now! Scroll through to see what secrets the cast are revealing to TV WEEK.
Jacqui Lambie: “I feel pressure to look good”
Tasmanian political leader Jacqui Lambie won’t be giving up her love for cosmetic surgery anytime soon. The mum-of-two – who has called Botox and fillers “addictive” – admits she had a top-up just before I’m A Celebrity.
“Being in the public eye all the time does put a lot of pressure on you,” Jacqui, 47, tells TV WEEK.
“A lot of it is presentation. Even though in Tasmania I could run around in my jeans and that, I usually have my hair done and make-up on. There’s a lot of pressure on females.”
Richard Reid: “I want to be the next Grant Denyer”
Having starred on The Celebrity Apprentice Australia and now I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Richard Reid is no stranger to reality TV. But the flamboyant US gossip guru is setting his sights on a different genre entirely: game shows.
“I’m something of a trivia expert,” Richard, 54, tells TV WEEK. “I’d love to host a game show – Grant Denyer can’t do them all!”
Now in his fifties, Richard admits he’s finally able to “start having fun” after working relentlessly since the age of 16.
“Turning 50 was actually a joy,” he says. “It finally meant I was a hundred per cent grown up.
“I’ve worked hard every day since I was 16, so turning 50 gave me permission to start not taking life so seriously.”
Richard also reveals he’s feeling more confident than ever, especially after working with the fitness coaches who trained singer Guy Sebastian and TV host Osher Günsberg.
“Once I turned 50, I realised gravity was no friend of mine and I needed to fight it,” he says. “The past five, six years, I’ve really been trying to maintain what’s left of my youthful physique.
“I haven’t always succeeded, but I think I’m the strongest and fittest I’ve ever been. But that’s not to say I’m Tim Robards, by any means!”
Ajay Rochester: “I’ve been through some dark times”
Ajay Rochester is no stranger to controversy. During her time as host of reality show The Biggest Loser, she clashed frequently with co-star Michelle Bridges. Ajay then made headlines when she pleaded guilty to welfare fraud in 2008.
However the 49-year-old says the challenge of competing on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! is nothing compared to that of raising her son Kai, 19, who has Asperger’s syndrome.
“You don’t overcome it, you embrace it,” she tells TV WEEK. “It’s a rollercoaster. There are some great times, but there are also really dark times.
“I’ve had a lot of things I’ve needed to overcome in my life. I’ve been exposed to abuse, violence and alcoholism, but nothing compares to being the parent of a kid on the spectrum.”
Ajay admits being away from Kai will be the hardest thing she’ll face in the jungle.
“It’s my biggest fear, because I talk to him every day,” she says. “I’ve been there for him every day of his life, no matter where he is or where I am. I’ve always been a phone call away. To not be able to talk to him is crippling.”
Caring for her son has left little time for love. Ajay admits she hasn’t been on a date in 10 years, and that she’s finally ready to find that special someone.
“I’ve devoted my life to my son,” she says. “I haven’t been on a single date for 10 years… therefore I haven’t had sex. I’m like a born-again virgin – I’ve reclaimed my virginity!”
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I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! airs Sunday to Thursday, 7.30pm, on 10.
