‘I was on I’m A Celeb and here’s what they didn’t show you in the first episode’

I'm A Celeb: Gillian McKeith and Shaun Ryder evicted from show

Gillian McKeith was the talk of the town when she starred on ITV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! – fainting her way through trials and sneaking spices into camp in her knickers.

Now in her column for Express.co.uk, the star has confessed what audiences don't see after the 2024 series of the reality show debuted this weekend.

The health guru elaborated on the unique challenges faced by the celebrities, noting that they are often "blindfolded" before embarking on any of the demanding activities. This tactic not only heightens the suspense but also added to the overall drama of her unforgettable time on the show.

Of her first show arrival, Gillian said: "I remember every detail of both experiences and could talk for days about it. I have been in the Jungle twice now. 2010 in Australia (PTSD experience) and 2023 in South Africa. I am an iconic jungle veteran.

"My entry in 2010 was the most horrific for me. There was a pre-entry experience where we were plopped into the jungle via helicopter (I’m afraid of helicopters and heights and always said I would never go in one), still wearing our fancy arrival clothes.

Gillian McKeith shared what goes on behind the scenes of I'm A Celebrity. (Image: Getty)

"There I was in my favourite designer dress and couture jacket, thrown into a mini-trial with Shaun Ryder after the helicopter journey. I had no idea what was going on as I had never watched the show, and I had never heard of Shaun Ryder either! It was all so surreal.

"Suddenly, out of the vast forest of trees, Ant and Dec appear, give some crazy instructions, and the most bizarre experience of my life got underway. Next thing I know we were told to put our hands into a box of snakes to find a star.

"I did not find my star, and out of nowhere, hundreds of giant creepy insects were poured all over my head and body. They were huge, running everywhere all over me and stunk to the high heavens. I remember hearing this blood-curdling screaming, thinking, 'Where is that coming from?' It was ME, screaming my head off and wailing like you cannot imagine. 'GET THEM OFF, GET THEM OFF. AAAH'"

She added: "I vaguely recall Shaun trying is best to get these vile, smelly creatures off of me. I was in total shock. I wanted to go home that minute."

Gillian fainted her way through the 2010 series (Image: Getty)

The star also spoke of how the show is filmed differently to what the public may expect when watching the programme.

She divulged: "Anyhow, after this horrendous trial, which was the girls pitted against boys, the girls' team won (regardless of my dismal lack of stars), and the prize was the first night in a stunning mansion.

"The real entry to the jungle happened the next day when I had to canoe down the main jungle river, which we were led to believe may have been crocodile-infested."

She also added: "You are often blindfolded and driven around in a van with pitch black windows in the dark when on the way to a trial. It feels a bit like you are being kidnapped. You are disoriented, no clue where you are going, what is happening, it is nerve wracking and a frightening sensation that I will never forget."

Coleen Rooney is favourite to win this year's show. (Image: GETTY)

The 2024 cast of I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! has not had an easy start, with last night's launch episode landing them right in the action.

This year’s contestants include N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos, Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall and Strictly Come Dancing pro Oti Mabuse. Coleen Rooney, McFly singer Danny Jones, and boxer Barry McGuigan have also joined them.

The first episode of the season saw the cast take part in a series of challenges, with Tulisa and Alan emerging victorious after a heated race involving cockroaches, capsized canoes, and blended fish eye cocktails

Fans singled out Dean McCullough as an early favourite after the BBC Radio 1 presenter made a “hilarious” joke about fellow campmate Coleen Rooney’s Wagatha Christie trial.