I'm A Celeb star Russell Watson has opened up about the harsh reality of "starvation" and "vile" food on the ITV show.
It's been three years since the popular reality TV show moved from the sunny Australian jungle to a chilly castle in north Wales due to the pandemic. One unforgettable moment from that series was when classical singer Russell Watson moved his fellow campmates, including Giovanna Fletcher, Beverley Callard and Victoria Derbyshire, to tears with his beautiful rendition of Nessun Dorma.
The classical singer was the fifth celebrity to be voted off the show and has since looked back on his time in the castle with great fondness. Speaking to The Mirror he shared: "I look back on my time in the castle with a great deal of affection, I really did love it.
"There were elements of it that I didn’t enjoy, but even with the trials that I did, I still enjoyed it. I had a great time. My wife and I love the show, so we’ll definitely be watching this year."
The singer shared his experience of losing nearly 2st in weight while on the ITV show, saying the hunger and cold weather were tough to handle – but he also opened up on losing "a lot of weight".
Russell said: "By far, the most difficult aspect of the show is the starvation. I lost 20lb in just over two weeks – that’s a lot of weight. All you can think about when you’re hungry is food. It can make you feel quite grumpy and quite tired. I’m 6ft plus and a big lad, so I take a bit of fuelling up – 600 calories is lunch for me, not a day. That’s what I’d have in my sandwich. The food there is vile, that part really wasn’t nice."
Despite the lack of food, Russell said he would consider going on the show again if the opportunity arose. During his time on the show, he also formed close bonds with his campmates, who also included Radio 2 DJ Vernon Kay and EastEnders star Shane Richie, and he still keeps in touch with all of them.
Since finding fame in 1999 following a series of appearances at high-profile sporting events, Russell has gone on to achieve worldwide stardom, performing for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, President George Bush at the White House, and for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace. He is also an ambassador for the Prince's Trust, which was set up by King Charles in 1976.
In 2006, at the peak of his career, the singer was diagnosed with a brain tumour and another one was found a year later. He shared: "The whole concept was, 'If you can make it to the end of that corridor, and walk up the first flight of steps, then you’re ready to go home.' So that was my ambition at that moment in time, to get out in time for my daughter’s birthday, which I did."
Russell, who is a dad to Rebecca and Hannah from his first marriage, now lives on a 15-acre farm in Cheshire with his wife Louise. He said: "It’s heaven on earth, I love it here. I absolutely love this place."
The star, whose debut album The Voice topped the UK charts for a record 52 weeks, has performed with Sir Paul McCartney, Meat Loaf and even Luciano Pavarotti. But he admits that away from the spotlight, he enjoys the peaceful life that the countryside offers.
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