Babatúndé Aléshé says he considered quitting I'm A Celebrity on several occasions - and insists it was a "tactical choice" to pull out of his first trial The Ledge.
Speaking for the first time in-depth about his experience he said he was close to leaving, something not shown on ITV.
Asked if he ever considered quitting, he said: "Definitely. It is intense, it’s not easy, being there is not easy at all – it’s not a joke you’re really in the middle of the jungle, it's not a set. There’s no ‘can I have a biscuit?’ on the side. They don’t give it to you, it’s real and we learnt in the first week that they’re not playing.
"When they say you’re having rice and beans, they really mean it and you have to get comfortable with having so little and when you win trials and you actually get food you have to learn how to appreciate and share so little with so many."
Looking back he added: "There were many low moments. I learnt that I have the capacity to endure and keep going because I never gave up and there were times where I could really just say let me leave the jungle and come back home and be with my family but I just didn’t give up and every day was an achievement for me.
"Everyday waking up in the jungle I was happy that I never said I’m out. I learnt that I’m more brave than I gave myself credit for, stepping into the jungle you have to be brave, facing the trials, you have to be brave and working for the team you really have to step outside your comfort zone and work with people that you don’t know so I realised that I’m a brave person."
Babatúndé, 36, also shocked fans in the opening episode when he screamed ' I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here' during heights challenge The Ledge on top of a 32 storey building on the Gold Coast.
He said: "With the ledge, yes I was annoyed but I purposely backed out of that because I was like,’this is the first trial, how much does it mean to me?
"Yeah it was tactical. I was like, ‘could I do without a meal? Yes, I can – cool, I’m out.’
"But when the brought me back to do the second trial, when I did the trial just by myself Horrified Heights, I felt like I redeemed myself.
"Because everybody came into camp with stars, I was the only one that didn’t have any stars but I felt like I over proved. I messed up in the first one but then said here you go nine stars. I exceeded my own expectations."
Baba managed 19 days in camp and says he will use the experience to pass on advice to his son Judah.
He was close to tears as he spoke of missing him and said: "I absolutely want to be a role model for my son.
"I didn’t grow up with my dad so I never got taught the things that I believe a dad should teach their children about life and being brave and taking on the world and the challenges you can face dealing with people.
"So, I definitely feel like even though it was two weeks and it was a small time, two weeks and a half, I can definitely take this experience and teach my son about stepping into the unknown and being comfortable with it."
•I'm A Celebrity continues on ITV on Thursday at 9pm
