ON HOW THE SHOW INSPIRED HER TO SEIZE THE DAY
REPORT: LAURA BENJAMIN I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!: South Africa starts on 24 April at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
S he says that taking part in I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! “changed her” forever. So it’s perhaps no surprise that Carol Vorderman is returning to the jungle to appear in the eagerly awaited all-star version of the hit ITV show.
This time, however, Carol won’t be jetting off Down Under. Instead, the reality contest will take place in South Africa, featuring a different format with no public vote. Stars including boxer Amir Khan, supermodel Janice Dickinson, former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan and Olympian Fatima Whitbread will join presenter Carol, 62, in vying to be crowned the first I’m a Celebrity Legend.
FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Speaking about how taking part in 2016 transformed her perspective on life and opened her up to new adventures, Carol said: “Doing the show changed me a lot. It made me realise that I was missing many things I loved, and in a short space of time after leaving the camp, I bought a little house in west Wales.”
She continued: “I love Wales and I love being out at night. I’ve got a converted van and I live a bit of a hippie life. I go paddleboarding all the time now. You get to a point in life where you think everything is a bonus. You can’t say: ‘I will do that in 20 years’ time.’ It made me realise that you need to live in the now.”
The former Countdown star also recalled how her original jungle experience taught her some other life skills. “I learnt I can get drunk on one glass of wine,” she revealed.
“We had a party at the Jungle Arms and it was one of the best parties I’ve ever been to. My best memory was waking up outdoors in camp. It was stunning and I loved my whole time there. I want to say a big thank-you to [show hosts] Ant and Dec when I see them in South Africa, and I can’t wait to take part in this new series. I loved everything about the show.”
Carol, who recently revealed that she was involved with five boyfriends, whom she keeps “on rotation”, has special memories of South Africa, where she lived aged 19.
“I met the first love of my life when I was working on an engineering construction site,” she recalled. “My boss was 24 and we fell in love. His next job was
