I’m A Celebrity hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly claim to have been just as surprised as the viewers during the latest boot-off from the jungle on the ITV show.
When it was time to announce which celebrity had been given the boot by public vote, both Ant and Dec were taken aback to see Tulisa Contostavlos leave, the Mirror reports.
Speaking on the companion show Unpacked, they shared their astonishment over the eviction result. They echoed each other’s sentiment: “Who saw that coming? Not me! ” They discussed how this year, it was a tricky call with Dec remarking Tulisa had played a “big” and “integral” part in this season.
Ant openly admitted: “That was a real shock for me that was.” Continuing the discussion, Dec highlighted the unpredictable nature of the votes this year: “It’s so hard to call it this year. There’s people at home going I like them all, I don’t know who to vote for, I’ll vote for this person tonight,” hinting that perhaps fans may have thought certain celebrities were safe when in fact they weren’t. .
Fans tuning in disagreed with the outcome, with some expressing disbelief that Tulisa could have received the fewest votes. Social media reactions showed discontent with one viewer declaring: “I’m not buying it! ” Another echoed the disbelief: “I don’t believe it,” while others simply said: “No way.”
Reacting to Tulisa’s premature exit, one viewer expressed surprise: “Quite surprised to see Tulisa be the third celebrity to leave. I think she left too early but goes to show that’s how strong the camp is this year.”
The sense of astonishment was widespread with comments popping up such as: “I’m really shocked to see Tulisa has been evicted tonight,” followed by another fan calling the eviction a “real shock”.
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Post-exit, Tulisa shared with Ant and Dec that despite her departure, the jungle had been a challenging experience, stating it was “hard in there”.
She described the experience as a “whirlwind” and expressed disbelief at her accomplishments. “You’re just going to be more grateful for everything. The food you eat, the people that you love… you don’t realise how good you’ve got it,” she reflected.
She admitted the time spent was “testing” yet she remained authentic throughout. The trials, particularly the eating challenge, proved tougher than anticipated. Despite her intentions, her reactions to the critters in camp were not as discreet as she’d hoped.
The update follows the announcement by presenters Ant and Dec that Dean McCullough was the second contestant to depart from the Australian jungle on Sunday night. Upon his exit, Dean exclaimed: “I’m going home, I’m going home, I need my underwear, I’ll see you later! I’m going home! ”
In a post-eviction chat with Ant and Dec, he commented: “Boys, it’s absolutely nuts. I still can’t believe I’m here.” He showed no signs of disappointment at being voted out, saying: “Not at all, I have really soaked up this whole experience. All the trials.”
This comes shortly after Loose Women panelist Jane Moore became the first celebrity to leave, earlier in the week. Jane had faced tough trials and subsisted on basic rations of beans and rice before being chosen as the first to exit the jungle.
Following her exit from the jungle, Jane chatted with Ant and Dec, calling her time on the show “such a weird and magical experience”.
When quizzed about her feelings on being the first to leave, she replied: “No more washing up – yes! ” Additionally, she remarked that: “Hard work doesn’t get rewarded.”
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