I’m A Celebrity star Mike Tindall, who is already tipped by bookies as a firm favourite to win the show, was the final contestant to enter the jungle last night. Yet, he seemed calm, collected and undeterred by the prospect of creepy crawly encounters – even when it was announced that a VIP had been chosen to receive special privileges, and it wasn’t him.
Fellow contestant Boy George was selected as the designated Jungle VIP and was offered the chance to take a companion on a luxury yacht, while Mike – who is married to a royal – was left to slum it with the others at the camp.
Yet the former rugby star, who is wed to Princess Anne’s daughter Zara, was undeterred by not benefitting from the favouritism.
“That is basically my life – rock up, react, see what happens!” he reasoned, when asked how he would cope with challenges along the road ahead.
Hosts Ant and Dec advised the contestants as soon as they arrived: “You’re not going to be making the journey to camp together.
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“One of you has already been chosen by the public as a Jungle VIP,” he continued ominously.
On learning that he was the lucky one, Boy George selected Scarlette Douglas from A Place in the Sun to join him on his yacht – and she vowed she would bring the “glamour” to the proceedings.
Meanwhile, Dec warned the others: “The start of your Jungle adventure is going to be very different, and your journey begins right now, where you’ll have to earn your food along the way.”
Mike might usually be accustomed to a lifestyle in the lap of luxury, but he was going right back to basics on his first ever experience in the Australian jungle.
He was grouped with Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver, 59, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, and Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner, who plays Romeo Nightingale and is aged just 23.
Owen read out their instructions, declaring: “Celebrities, you now have the chance to win three stars on the Critter Cruise.
“Each star represents a meal for camp tonight. Marked on the map are three challenges, one for each of you to complete.
“In each challenge you have an opportunity to find a code and that code will unlock one of the stars on the boat.”
Spotting that the first challenge needed someone to submerge under water and reappear inside an upturned boat, Mike gamely volunteered, explaining: “I’m the only one without hair…”
It didn’t take long before the former rugby ace was fending off his first creepy crawly of the day – a giant spider on the boat.
He quickly earned his first star by cracking a code after finding numbers that corresponded to the letters of the boat’s name – Maud.
Meanwhile, he sidestepped anything too gory as it was left to Sue to count fish eyeballs, and together all three eventually harnessed their teamwork skills to crack the remaining codes and get back to shore.
They were joined by Boy George and Scarlette – whose VIP experience had abruptly come to an end – and the other five.
Outside of the jungle, friends and acquaintances of Mike seem convinced that he’s unlikely to spill any secrets about the royal family.
Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid has rationalised that he’s a “private” guy, as part of “one of the most famous and best families in the world”.
Only time will tell what topics Mike will bring up, and whether or not he’ll crack as he takes part in the inevitable endurance tests to come.
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! returned last night (Sunday) on ITV. Watch the next live episode tonight at 9pm (Monday) on ITV and ITV Hub.
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