Gillian McKeith has explained why she has returned to I’m A Celebrity… I Need to Get Out of Here! She fainted during the Bushtucker trials 13 years ago.
Following the premiere episode of I’m A Celebrity South Africa, the TV nutritionist revealed her surprising return to the jungle, joining Carol Vorderman, Phil Tufnel, Janice Dickinson, and Helen Flanagan.
The revelation may come as a surprise to many who recall McKeith’s initial appearance on I’m A Celebrity, when she managed to irritate her campmates, who went hungry as she abandoned trial after trial.
The 63-year-old You Are What You Eat actress is even more ‘apprehensive and scared’ this time, but she has a fresh reason for doing it all over again.
‘I feel a calling to represent all the scaredy cats in Britain,’ she added, explaining why she agreed.
This time, the audience will not be voting for a campmate to compete in a Bushtucker trial, which will be good news in this year’s lineup as McKeith was previously selected to undertake eight straight Bushtuckers.
She famously fainted during the live trial. She maintains, however, that the faints were all genuine and not an effort to avoid another trial.
‘I have a history of fainting since childhood,’ explained McKeith. ‘The day before we did the live Trial, I hadn’t had much to eat and I wasn’t feeling very well – which is the precursor to passing out.
‘I have fainted several times and not just in the jungle. I even fainted at a wedding once when I was the bridesmaid. They were about to say: “do you take this man to be your husband?” and I passed out.
‘Sometimes you can stop yourself if you get close to the ground but the problem with the jungle is there were all these leeches and so there was no way I was going to throw myself on the ground.
‘But I have never been able to forget about my fainting in the jungle! I have been reminded about I’m A Celebrity every single day since I came out by taxi drivers and people in the street! They all talk about it as if it were yesterday.
‘They say I was entertaining. It might have been for them but it certainly wasn’t for me!’
I’m A Celebrity South Africa continues tomorrow night at 9pm on ITV.
