TULISA Contoslavos is the self-described ‘female boss,’ so it’s no surprise that she was keen to be in control when she entered the I’m a Celeb jungle.
Before she jetted off to Australia for the ITV show, the 36-year-old paid a visit to Hobbledown Heath animal theme park and zoo, where she became acquainted with a variety of species over in West London.
Sharing the footage of her visit on her social media page, the N-Dubz singer can be seen ‘testing out her fear of critters,’ as she screams in terror after encountering a tarantula.
It seems that the former X Factor judge was keen to roadtest her contact with creepy crawlies, ahead of her stint in the jungle.
In her piece to camera Tulisa said: “We are here in Hobbledown and we are testing out our fears of critters. The spider is the one I am most terrified about, but I am feeling in the zone.”
In one shot, Tulisa is keen calmly holding a large African snail in the palm of her, to which she says, “cute.”
She was also seen cradling and stroking a a large purple tongued lizard called Steve, as she says, “My dad’s called Steve, famous last words.”
The former talent show judge then donned some gloves, as she held a slimy white tree frog, to which she said: “It’s ok little man, you’re ok, you’re cute.”
The singer was then seen happily cosying up to a giant grasshopper, a cockroach and a centipede.
But when it came to the spider, the entertainer lost her composure, as the large spider fell from her hand to the floor, Tulisa let out a giant scream.
She then said: “They can bite, they can nip you and give you a heart attack.”
So far Tulisa has proved to be popular in the jungle and tonight she will face her fears as she takes on her first solo bug-infested Bushtucker Trial.
Recently it was revealed that the singer was medically exempt from any height based trials on medical grounds.
Before the end of Sunday night’s show, presenters Ant and Dec explained that the Reverend Coles and Tulisa wouldn’t be chosen to partake in the Jack and the Screamstalk trial on the basis of their acrophobia.
But then Tulisa could be overheard telling camp mates that she had a medical basis for being exempt.
She said: “I know it’s heights because that’s what I’m medically exempt from.”
So far Tulisa has entertained her camp mates by revealing that she’s been celibate for three years, as she describes herself as demi sexual, meaning that she can only sleep with someone with whom she has a deep emotional connection.
Indeed this week, the star’s friend Michelle McKenna, has landed in Australia ahead of the upcoming evictions.
Ahead of her flight, McKenna appeared on ITV’s Lorraine where she admitted that she’d like her long term friend to find love.
She says: “I’d love her to meet someone, honestly,” she said.
“I love Alan, but I think they’re like little besties in there, aren’t they? I absolutely love him.
“They’d actually make a dead cute couple. We’d have to wait and see.
“He’s a Northerner – they live in the same area now. You never know!”
When asked if radio presenter Melvin Odoom, could be a good match for Tulisa, Michelle said: “Melvin? I think Melvin’s lovely but I don’t think he’s for T.
“I don’t know if he’s T’s type. They’ve known each other for years.
“Barry’s son, apparently he’s cute! I’m gonna play matchmaker.”
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! airs every night at 9pm on ITV1, STV and ITVX
i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year..
Coleen Rooney – Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney, has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever.
Tulisa – The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year’s I’m A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal.
Alan Halsall – The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities.
Melvin Odoom – The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet – the Aussie jungle.
GK Barry – The UK’s biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers.
Dean McCullough – A rising star amongst this year’s bunch of celebs, Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live.
Oti Mabuse – The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV’s Dancing On Ice.
Danny Jones – The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle, after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he’s now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice, along with bandmate Tom Fletcher.
Jane Moore – The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge – having recently split from her husband. It will be Jane’s first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past.
Barry McGuigan – Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer. He told The Late Late Show in 2021: “She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache.”
Maura Higgins – The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard. Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year.
Rev. Richard Coles – Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity, and he’s ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star, said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: “Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth.”
