I’m A Celeb’s Danny Jones’ mother has candidly spoken out about her son’s emotional journey on the ITV show, expressing her belief that he could be crowned King of the Jungle “for the north”.
Kathy, who flew to Brisbane to support her Bolton-born son, confessed: “I was laughing watching him with the snake down his trousers and then the next day I was crying. ”
She added: “It was different emotions. I just wanted to hug him. You don’t want to see your kids upset. It got me a bit. I am so proud of him…I think he could win and do it for the North.”
Viewers were moved as Danny tearfully discussed his 20-year battle with anxiety, revealing that he has been in therapy since he was 19 and once suffered a panic attack during a live TV interview. Kathy also found humour in Danny’s admission that he hadn’t changed his pants, joking: “It was unusual for him, he is usually quite hygienic.”
She further commented on his close friendship with fellow contestant, boxer Barry McGuigan. “I knew before he went in that he would have a connection with Barry, maybe because he likes boxing that’s why,” Kathy said.
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“The snake down his trousers however was the best ever…he has exceeded his own expectations.”
Kathy is also mother to daughter Vix Wright-Jones, who shared with the Mirror this week how Danny’s admission about his anxiety “killed her.”
She said: “When I saw him get emotional, it killed me because I just wanted to give him a hug. He is a really emotionally intelligent person, and I really admire that he was able to open up about his anxiety.
“I think in sharing that vulnerable moment in front of the nation, a lot of people could relate, so hopefully that helped someone out there struggling too.”
Elder sister Vix, 40, commended his openness and its impact on shattering mental health stigmas among males. She explained: “I think it’s so important to see people share their mental health journeys, especially men, as there is still such a stigma we are fighting to break.”
Vix expressed her emotional response to the support he received, adding: “I was so grateful of how the campmates rallied around him in that moment though, it made me very emotional.
“To show those layers to the public is very brave. A man who can sell out arenas as a musician and can also talk openly about his feelings is very special.”
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