Comedian Seann Walsh has admitted he was "petrified of backlash" before he entered the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! jungle.
The 37-year-old stand up comedian hit the headlines in 2018 when he was photographed kissing his Strictly Come Dancing partner Katya Jones.
Seann's career struggled in the following years, but made a return to the limelight as he entered the jungle alongside Matt Hancock last month.
The comedian's appearance on the series was a success as he narrowly missed the final as he was the seventh star to leave the jungle this year.
Despite his success with the public on the series, Seann has admitted he was "petrified" of heading back into a reality TV show, but was convinced by his girlfriend Grace Adderley.
Seann, who is expecting his first child with Grace, told Hello! magazine: "Grace said to me ‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. The adventure itself will make it worthwhile’ – and she was absolutely right.
"I was so petrified of getting backlash. I’d had such a bad experience with all the things that were said about me last time [I did a reality show], the idea of that happening again was terrifying."
During his time in the jungle, Seann confided his his campmates about the backlash he received after he kissed dancer Katya, 33.
He told fellow comedian Babatunde Aléshé: "It was easily the most depressing month of my entire life, Edinburgh after Strictly.
"Just before I’m about to go on (and do a show), my agent comes in and goes ‘Just so you know, there’s like 30 people’."
In the jungle, Seann also revealed his ex girlfriend's statement "ended him" after the kiss scandal.
After Seann was pictured kissing Katya, his then-girlfriend Rebecca Humphries, who he was in a longterm relationship with at the time, released an explosive statement, dumping him in reaction.
He told Corrie's Sue Cleaver : "Me and my dance partner, who was married, I was in a relationship, we were photographed kissing when we were on Strictly Come Dancing … that was the front page of every newspaper."
The soap star then asked: "Why did that crucify you? Why did that have such an impact?"
Seann admitted: "To be totally honest with you, my poor ex, my girlfriend at the time, posted a statement. My girlfriend [at the time] posted a statement and that was the end of me."
Looking back on the fallout from the scandal, Seann added: "I said sorry. I sat on Jonathan Ross’s TV show and apologised. I sat next to will.i.am and Samuel L. Jackson and apologised. That will forever be the weirdest moment of my life and I have to say probably the worst moment of my life."
Speaking in the Bush Telegraph following her chat with Seann, Sue had a lot of sympathy for her fellow camper.
"He’s a lovely lad. He’s a sensitive soul, very sensitive soul. He’s been through the ringer the last three years. I think he’s really brave and I’m glad he’s here," the actress declared.
