I'm A Celebrity... South Africa star Paul Burrell has revealed his staggering weight loss after he was seen missing out on a place in the final of the ITV reality show. The former royal butler was one of several memorable former I'm A Celebrity campmates who returned to battle it out for 'Legend' status.
He joined the likes of Carol Vorderman, Janice Dickinson, Joe Swash, Jordan Banjo, and Myleene Klass in the South African bush where the first-ever spin-off of the hit show was pre-recorded back in September last year in the new setting of Kruger National Park instead of Down Under in the Australian jungle.
During Thursday night's episode (May 11), Paul, who first competed in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2004, finishing in second place to comedian Joe Pasquale, and Carol were seen being given the boot from camp by Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly after being the slowest to complete the day's trial.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
It meant that the pair narrowly missed out on a place in the final, with Phill Tuffnell, Myleene Klass, Jordan Banjo and Fatima Whitbread remaining in the competition for the last show on Friday night (May 12).
Speaking after his exit, Paul said: "I wanted to do it again as I’m a very different person to the person I was in 2004. A lot of water has gone under the bridge. I was able to show people who I am. I’ve spent my life looking over my shoulder. Being followed, being watched. I thought, ‘this is an incredible showcase to let people know who I am now’.
"And so my hubby said, ‘You’ve got to do it’. I enjoyed it the first time around, I’m going to enjoy it again surely. I knew I was going to say yes. I didn’t realise how much more I would enjoy it. How liberating this would be for me."
Paul also revealed how he had slimmed down after being on the losing side in trials and eating rice and beans for days on end in camp whilst others feasted on luxury picnics.
He said: "I’ve never been as hungry as that in all my life. I lost 22 pounds. I just thought, don’t complain. I mean, at points I think we were all dreaming about food. We’d all make it tougher on ourselves by thinking about food all the time. People at home don’t realise how hungry you actually are."
Back in March, Paul shared how taking part in a medical test before appearing on the show 'saved his life'. The 64-year-old first disclosed back in February that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and said at the time he was “lucky” that a routine check spotted his symptomless cancer.
After sharing the new with Lorraine Kelly on her self-titled ITV show, he later let them follow his journey an speaking to the host in March after he was revealed to be taking part in I'm A Celeb again, Paul said the show "literally saved his life" as the pre-appearance medical flagged raised PSA levels, which meant he was able to get thoroughly investigated by his doctor, leading to the eventual discovery of his cancer.
Paul said at the time: "That show, I’m A Celebrity, literally saved my life. Because I went for the medical [and] they found a raised PSA level. I went to my GP and I said to him, ‘Am I still able to do the show?’ And he said, ‘Look, this can wait until you get back [from filming] and when you get back, we’ll continue with the investigations’.
"So when I got back, then I had an MRI scan and then I had a biopsy and then they told me that I had cancer, and then I had to go on the path of treatment." He added: "I’m so grateful to ITV for picking me to do the jungle because without that, I would still be sat here today not knowing I had cancer growing inside of me. So my journey is a happy one."
READ NEXT:
- Helen Flanagan on how she'd like to return to Coronation Street and what her kids thought of her doing I'm A Celebrity before exit
- Coronation Street's Ellie Leach 'excited' about current storyline despite exit claims
- Kym Marsh says 'forgive us' during break from theatre role and hits red carpet with lookalike daughter
- Pregnant Janette Manrara shows blossoming bump after sweet 'mums night' with Gemma Atkinson and Helen Skelton
- Will Mellor reflects on Strictly Come Dancing experience as he teases next move with acting return
