Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Frances Kindon

I'm A Celeb's most absurd moments - bottom burps, 'fake' faints and screaming for 'mummy'


When the going gets tough, the tough turn into loose cannons in the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here jungle.

Throughout its 20-year history, the show has played host to some truly toe-curling moments, from Gillian McKeith's fabulously fake fainting episode to East 17 star Brian Harvey causing ructions with his wind-breaking.

Let's not forget #Strawberrygate, when Iain Lee and Amir Khan ate the Dingo Dollar prize behind their campmates' backs and that time All Saints star Natalie Appleton let out a cry for her 'mummy'.

As the competition - and hunger - ramps up in the Aussie outback, we take a look at the most astonishing moments the beloved show has brought us...

Iain Lee and Amir Khan eat the winnings

Amir Khan and Iain Lee unashamedly tucked into their winnings (REX/Shutterstock)

Strawberrygate gripped the nation in December 2017 when Iain and Amir shamelessly demolished their Dingo Dollar prize without letting the other campmates get a look in.

Amir then let radio host Iain take the blame for eating the strawberries, revealing: "I was scared. Iain, when he came into camp, he didn't have the best reputation. Obviously the way he acted and he split the camp up."

He went on: "My teammates would never expected me to do that. I put my hand up.

"Iain provoked me to do it. I mean he pushed me to do it.

"I did feel guilty but I kind of fixed it a bit by saying 'you wouldn't have liked those strawberries and that cream was so hot.'"

But Iain was left getting most of the flack from his campmates, who were angry and disappointed by his actions.

Viewers felt some of the remarks Iain got verged on bullying, but he later said the word was "a bit strong".

However, he did cancel a planned trip to Pakistan with Amir, saying he was "actually lying" about the events in the jungle.

"I was disappointed people had been saying things behind my back about having a game plan and not trying hard enough, but when you're in there you do go nuts, you can have days of doing nothing," Iain added.

Helen Flanagan's meltdowns

Helen Flanagan admitted she didn't give much thought to the trials before starting on the show (Rex)

Coronation Street star Helen held the dubious accolade of being the most unsuccessful Bushtucker Trial contestant ever.

Some challenges she failed, others she just walked away from despite her campmates being starving.

Not that she'd given the gruesome tasks much thought before she went in.

"I didn't actually really take the trails into too much consideration because I didn't think I would be doing so many trials," she admitted.

"I thought I'd do one or two and I'll give it my best and I'm strong-minded, I'm sure I'll be fine. I suppose I didn't realise the implications really, I just thought we'd kind of chill around the campfire in a bikini and make friends."

But she saved her biggest blow-up for after she left the jungle, breaking down during her eviction, cancelling three pre-arranged TV interviews and locking herself away in her hotel room.

Helen Flanagan pulled out of the trials and then her exit interviews (Rex)

The sobbing star visibly shook during her exit interview on the jungle bridge and was whisked away for a full medical as she clung to her mum Julia.

And she spent the whole of the following day barricaded in her room with her panicked parents.

At the last minute, she cancelled interviews with ITV shows Daybreak, Lorraine and This Morning, telling her Twitter followers: "Thank you so much for anyone that supported me in the jungle...

"Ive felt so emotional today and completely overwhelmed and mixed emotions."

A show insider said: "Helen caused a nightmare by pulling out of her interviews.

"Producers were expecting to shoot three live links to the morning shows but were told Helen was too 'emotional' to leave her suite."

Brian Harvey's bottom burps

Former East 17 star Brian quit the jungle in 2004 after a blazing row with Janet Street Porter over his penchant for breaking wind.

It all kicked off when he let one rip near where she was cooking dinner.

"Perhaps you can cook dinner tomorrow and I'll come round to your house and fart in your face," a furious Janet suggested.

"I need to f**king fart because all I've eaten is f**king beans!" Brian argued.

But it wasn't their first beef over boffing and Brian packed his bags in a strop and walked soon after.

Natalie Appleton screams for 'mummy'

Sophie Anderton and Natalie Appleton butted heads in the camp (Rex)

Like Brian, All Saints star Natalie wasn't cut out for jungle life - especially after being nominated for five consecutive Bushtucker Trials.

She wept through each one, screamed "help me mummy - I'm going to be sick!" and even had to be given oxygen on one occasion in series four.

On day two she sobbed, "I don't think I can do this, this is not me, I don't think I've got the strength. I can't snap out of it. I'm not mentally prepared for this right now, I can't do it."

However, she had a nice distraction in the form of her blazing catfight with model and camp mate Sophie Anderton, who she branded a "prima donna".

Gillian McKeith's 'fake' faint

Campmates didn't know where to look when Gillian McKeith dramatically collapsed (Rex Features)

The poo detective had just been nominated for her seventh Bushtucker trial when she suddenly fainted on live TV, prompting her camp mates to speculate that she was faking it.

She was whisked away from camp by medics while Linford Christie completed her trial.

But comedian Dom Joly and actor Nigel Havers weren't buying it.

"I smell Baftas for that faint, I really do," said Dom, while Nigel remarked, "The faint was just brilliant. It's just the timing was so good."

She also smuggled in seasonings in the lining of her knickers and point-blank refused to do the Dreaded Digger trial, leaving her campmates starving.

What has been your favourite I'm A Celeb moment over the years? Share your thoughts in the comments section below...



Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.