It was billed as the “British invasion” and the jungle’s newest intruder Paul Burrell says he already has his eyes on the prize – sorry Nollsy!
“I would love to win I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! because who would think a servant would rise through the ranks to be crowned king,” the polarising personality explained on Monday.
“I came second way back in 2004 on the British version of this show. It’s not my chance to prove that I can be number one!”
Somewhat of a renowned royal raconteur, we can guarantee the celebs will be sitting around the campfire listening to Paul’s fascinating stories.
As he takes on the South African jungle, here’s everything you need to know about Paul Burrell…
How is Paul Burrell famous?
Paul rose to fame as Princess Diana’s butler and best friend after working for the Princess of Wales from 1987 until her death ten years later.
At the prime of his career with the royal household, he was awarded the Royal Victorian Medal for his services to the Royal Family.
Since Diana’s death in 1997, Paul has muddied his ties with the Royals after doing several explosive interviews about the late Princess.
In 2002, he was charged with theft over Princess Diana’s property but the case was dropped.
He’s also released several tell-all books including In the Royal Manner: Butler to Diana, A Royal Duty, and The Way We Were: Remembering Diana, which lift the lid on life behind the palace gates.
No stranger to reality TV, his past credits feature shows like Australian Princess, Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes and Celebrity Big Brother. In 2004, Paul was the runner-up on the UK’s version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.
During a stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2004, he labelled his former boss Diana as “lonely” and “desperate.”
We can only imagine what’s going to come out in the jungle!
These days, when he’s not telling tall tales about the world’s most famous family, Paul works as a florist.
Paul’s carved out a career in royal tell-alls.
What’s Paul Burrell’s relationship with the Royals like now?
The Royals have no relationship with Paul and after his continual habit to air their dirty laundry.
He says he hasn’t spoken Prince William and Prince Harry since Princess Diana’s death.
Despite vowing never to write another book on the blue-bloods again, Paul is often wheeled out as an expert to weigh in on royal news.
Last August, Paul was slammed when he claimed Duchess Catherine lacks the same charisma as Princess Diana.
“She’s a lovely, lovely girl… she totally adores her husband, they’re devoted to each other,” the 59-year-old explained to 9 News.
“But that extra something, which you would call the ‘X-factor’, it’s not there,” Paul continued, before sticking the boot in one final time.
WATCH: Paul hits out at Duchess Catherine. Post continues…
“I met Mother Teresa, she had it. Pope John Paul II had it. The Queen has it. Diana certainly had it. Kate doesn’t.”
And just this week the author once again made headlines when he insinuated Prince Charles might have had something to do with Diana’s tragic death.
“[Diana] wrote a letter to me in her own hand writing on her own stationary and that letter read, ‘I fear I am going to be killed by my husband in order that he can remarry. I am going to have a car accident, head injuries, I am going to die,'” Paul alleged to News Corp.
It’s not the first time Paul’s told this story and last March, he even showed off the letter during an interview with Sunday Night to prove it.
The father-of-two might be on their black list but it doesn’t stop him from bragging of his regal ties.
“I can get a message quicker to the Queen than I can to my agent. And she is not on Facebook and she doesn’t have a mobile phone,” Paul boasted ahead of his jungle debut.
“Diana certainly had it [the X-factor]. Kate doesn’t,” Paul said of the Duchess.
Who is Paul Burrell’s ex-wife?
Paul was married to Maria Cosgrove from 1983 until they called time on their marriage in 2016. Reports claim he’d been living apart from his wife of 32 years for some time.
Paul and Maria share two grown-up sons, Alexander, 32, and Nicholas, 29.
The former royal butler announced the end of his first marriage in 2016.
Who is Paul Burrell’s new husband?
In March last year and just six months after splitting from his wife, the royal butler came out as gay.
That April, he married his “soul mate” and former business partner Graham Cooper in a beautiful same-sex ceremony in the Lake District.
“Everything about the day has been perfect, made even more wonderful by the fact that my two sons were here to share in the occasion,” Paul gushed after the wedding.
“There’s no more hiding my unbridled happiness now. Life is about being true to who you are and, for the first time ever, I’m able to stand proudly beside my husband and say ‘This is who I am.'”
WATCH: Paul talks to UK host Lorraine about when he first met his now-husband. Post continues…
Speaking about his sexuality to a local publication, Paul says it’s been a long road but he’s finally found peace.
“Being married for so long and then having two children, people don’t understand the journey. The journey was when I was young, I didn’t quite know what I wanted in life,” he told the website.
“I experimented – I realised I didn’t want the gay world. Not in the early 80s – that wasn’t for me. I wanted to be married, I wanted to settle down and I wanted to have a family. My wife and I went into this wide-eyed, knowing everything about each other and we formed a great partnership and a love that still endures to this day.”
“So my biggest challenge was coming out with my sexuality and being proud. I can stand in the street and hold his hand. When I was little, we weren’t allowed to be gay. But the world is a different place now, we can talk about it and I’m lucky enough to be one of those guys to say yes, this is me, this is who I am.”
The royal butler on his wedding day to Maria.
Paul and his “soul mate” Graham tied the knot last year.
Where can I find Paul Burrell on social media?
He doesn’t seem to have an Instagram account or a Facebook page, but you can follow him on Twitter at @PaulBurrellRVM and he’s kindly documented more of his life story on his website, which you can find here.
Who is Paul Burrell in the jungle with?
Paul Burrell has entered the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity with UK reality queen Vicky Pattison, who found fame thanks to her role on Geordie Shore.
Vicky, 30, took out the crown in the 2015 UK series of I’m A Celeb and told NW she’s turning the experience into a holiday.
“My fiancé [John] is going to come out and we are going to do a safari and I wouldn’t mind seeing what South Africa has to offer in terms of nightlife,” Vicky explained.
“I want to see as many animals as possible. It’s like an engagement moon off the back of it.”
God speed, you two!
