He became accustomed to ocean-side villas in Mallorca, Spain, during his previous stint on reality TV, but now, former Love Island star Justin Lacko is neck-deep in an adventure of a different kind – on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
So how does the 28-year-old model feel about swapping stunners and sunsets for spiders and snakes? “[Well], I go to bed with a trouser python,” Justin jokes of his much-talked-about manhood.
Here, NW chats to the hunk about life after Love Island, heading into the jungle and what he’s really got hiding in his pants…
Justin Lacko has swapped speedos for khaki! (Source: NW)
Well this is a bit of a surprise! We heard the rumours that Grant Crapp might be going into the jungle, but it’s you!
Grant, I think he posted on social media something about the jungle, and I think a lot of people’s ears were pricking, assuming that it was. And I’m thinking, “Umm, I’m pretty sure how the show works is it’s obviously quite confidential, so I definitely don’t think he’s gonna be in it.
Well he’s had his time winning a TV show – it’s your turn now!
That’s it! That’s what I wanna hear!
What would you do if he ended up being one of the intruders?
I think I’d have a great time with him, like, I wouldn’t trust him, though. And it would actually be quite funny to see him kind of struggle with the challenges. I think that would be quite entertaining! Like, “Let’s see how much of a real man you are!”
READ NEXT: Love Island‘s Justin Lacko tells: “I’m comfortable with my feminine side!”
Justin says fans will be shocked that Grant Crapp is not going into the jungle! (Source: NW)
Did you talk to any of your other Love Island cast mates about going to Africa?
I think maybe it was Tayla [Damir] that said that she had been asked. I was kind of just like, “Oh, yeah – that’s really interesting. That’s really cool. They haven’t asked me yet or anything.” Then after, they ended up asking me as well, so…
Well it won’t be like Mallorca! Did you prepare for the lifestyle change?
It’s definitely going to be more of the lifestyle of living in a campsite where there’s no grass – as Ja’mie [from Summer Heights High] would say, “There’s no f–king grass! Just f–king dirt!”
It’s gonna be one of those scenarios where I’ll be standing there with probably like my hand as a phone… talking to my mum, freaking out. Even though the people will be very supportive, I’m sure, I don’t think the bugs and spiders and loud noises at night will kind of… I think that will be torture.
Justin in one of his Love Island shoots. (Source: NW)
Previous contestants have snuck in chocolate and Keira Maguire even snuck in an eyelash brush! Do you think you might try and sneak something in?
I feel like [because] of my work and the industry I’m in and keeping fit, I’m quite strict on my eating capability. So I can’t imagine me really sneaking in chocolate and stuff – that’s not something I feel like I would need. Like, my chapstick! I need my chapstick because I’m constantly having to, like, lubricate my lips. I don’t have a medical certificate for it, so I can see myself probably trying to bring in a bunch of them, and if they don’t [let me], I need to figure out a way. I’ll have to put them down my pants.
Speaking of hiding things in your pants, your former Love Island co-star Millie Fuller says you were “on the upper side of average”. Tayla’s also spilled that you have “the biggest willy ever”. So, we’re pretty sure most of Australia is waiting for some sort of confirmation!
Oh my God! I don’t know if anyone actually got the joke ‘cos I wasn’t able to talk about it after, but if you listen [to an interview I did with Kyle and Jackie O], Kyle said, “All the fans must be chasing after you now.” And I said, “If I was f**king a fan, there would be blood everywhere.” And I meant it as in, like, I was trying to be silly, and bring it away from me having a penis.
I was trying to bring it onto me having sex with a literal fan – like up on the ceiling! Then Kyle obviously took it as if I was having sex still with a fan, and that like… it’s a bloody scene! And I’m like, “Oh my God – they don’t get it!” So then, obviously that’s when everybody started talking about my penis… I’m a man, and I just don’t really care. I mean, I have a willy, just like every other bloke out there. I’m a very comfortable person.
WATCH NEXT: The official trailer for I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here. Post continues…
Well, we may never find out because I’m A Celeb is unlikely to have a stripping challenge like Love Island did…
Yeah. Especially at 7.30pm – but you never know these days!
They may come out with an uncut version of I’m A Celeb, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled, just in case!
If there was an uncut version, then I’d be worried a little bit because I wouldn’t know what would be seen on that – me in the shower or something? Like, “Damn it! I should have taken the chance to do that porno and made some money from it!” Because when you’re exposed, you’re exposed – no-one cares anymore. [Laughs]
Justin on set of Love Island in 2018. (Source: Instagram/Love Island)
Are you worried about the effect being in the jungle will have on your body? A lot of previous contestants have had some pretty shocking transformations!
Yeah, no, like, I’m quite fit… I’m a little bit nervous because I don’t want to lose my muscle, I guess. And I don’t really want to lose too much weight. I have put on a bit of weight because of the show.
I’m not too scared because of the industry I’m in as well, like, I’m used to fluctuating with weight gain and weight loss based on seasons and based on working overseas in Italy and New York. Like, I’ve been called fat before by a designer, and I had to lose all this weight, and then all of a sudden I had all these people saying I look like a skeleton. But I mean, aww, what do you do?!
What’s your biggest fear when it comes to living in the jungle?
Mosquitos. And not getting sleep. I am not going to look my beautiful self. I am scared that people are going to see me without my hair done and not looking my best. That’s not superficial at all, as a majority of the world think like that.
“Yeah, no, like, I’m quite fit… I’m a little bit nervous because I don’t want to lose my muscle, I guess,” Justin reveals to NW. (Source: Love Island / ITV)
Now that you’re about to go into your second stint on reality TV, can you tell us what the worst thing about being on Love Island was?
It is a bit of a head f–k, to be frank, when you are put up on a pedestal – majority of my twenties it’s this thing where people kind of said, “Oh my gosh, you’re so gorgeous, you’re so beautiful” or “We love you”. And mentally I’d think, “Oh, I’m definitely going to find someone who’s going to be interested in me when I go onto a show.” And to find myself in a bit of a pickle where I’m surrounded by a bunch of bogan-y blokes and all the girls are chasing them…
I felt like, if none of those girls could see the fact that I’m one of those guys who, to be frank, is like a good-looking guy, works really hard, has multiple jobs, travels the world, there’s excitement, I go to fun events and parties… I feel like I’m such a nice guy. Like, what is it? What do you want? I just felt like these girls are just too young, so, yeah. That ultimately was the most difficult thing about being in that villa.
Would you be open to finding love in the jungle?
I want to find Jane – that would be cool. Hopefully there is a beautiful, single woman on the show. You have this awful and tough experience together and then maybe you say, “Let me give you the chocolate with the bug in it.” We could feed each other and fall romantically in love. It would be kind of cute.
I am that guy that really wants to find a girl so bad. I’m just hoping for the best, and that’s all I can do. But I’m still on the same platform as I was when I first started doing reality TV. I just really want to find someone. I want them to just love me for me and vice versa, and have that little happy ending. I have high wishes for that fairytale story. Not saying I live by it, but I mean, it would be cute…
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! airs Sunday – Thursday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten
For more I’m a Celeb gossip and exclusives, pick up a copy of this week’s NW magazine.
