Olivia Attwood: I’d rather walk back to England than not try in jungle trials
By Naomi Clarke, PA Entertainment Reporter
Olivia Attwood has said she would rather “walk home back to England” than go back to camp empty-handed as she prepares to enter the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! jungle.
The reality TV star, who first shot to fame in 2017 on Love Island, is one of the celebrity contestants who will face Bushtucker Trials and camp life as the show returns on Sunday.
Attwood, 31, hopes to prove the public’s preconception of her wrong and get stuck into all the activities, but she admitted if one of the trials involves the dark she will have to “dig deep”.
The reality star said she hopes her stubbornness will be an advantage on the show, as she told The Sun: “I can’t see myself saying: ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here’.
“People will have preconceptions about what I’m like and I want to prove them wrong.
“I’d find it really hard to go back to camp and say I didn’t even give it a go and got no stars. I’d rather walk home back to England.”
Attwood, who went on to feature on Celebs Go Dating and The Only Way Is Essex after her stint on Love Island, feels she has “grown up a lot” since her time in the villa.
“I was so hot-headed and it was quite high-stress in the villa,” she said.
“The jungle is a very different vibe and I want to show a side of myself I haven’t had a chance to show.
“I just want to have an amazing experience, make new friends for life and make some amazing memories.”
Bushtucker Trials are notorious for putting celebrities to the test by making them battle creepy crawlies, heights, the dark and unusual foods.
Attwood said she is “not terrible” with insects, but admitted that dealing with 50 spiders would be a “nightmare”.
She added: “This sounds so silly, but I really hate the dark – I’ve always slept with a bedside light on since I was a child.
“If any of the trials involve the dark, I’ll have to dig deep.
“I also can’t stand people that are bone idle. Everyone has to play their part to keep the camp tidy.”
Also among the high-profile line-up entering the Australian jungle are rugby player Mike Tindall, pop star Boy George and former England footballer Jill Scott.
Former health secretary Matt Hancock has also been confirmed to be joining the line-up, causing the MP for West Suffolk to have the Tory whip suspended and come under fire from across the political divide after opting to join the show at a time when Parliament is sitting.
He previously told the Sun he wants to use the “incredible platform” on the show to raise awareness of dyslexia and insisted it “wasn’t the cheque” that made him decide to join the programme.
Leading figures at organisations specialising in dyslexia have said they are grateful to the former cabinet minister for his work raising awareness of the learning difficulty, and welcomed a platform for the cause.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! returns to ITV on November 6th at 9pm.
