It’s been almost 17 years since she was crowned Queen of the Jungle in the third series of I’m A Celeb!, but Kerry Katona insists her big win was overshadowed by fellow contestants Jordan and Peter Andre falling in love on the show.
Through hammock heart-to-hearts and even practising sex positions in broad daylight, the nation was gripped by the pair’s love story. Although they split in 2009, Kerry doesn’t believe I’m A Celeb! will produce another fairy-tale romance like it.
Kerry, 40, tells Closer, “It’s always Pete and Kate that people speak about. I don’t know how I won it. I always find it hilarious when people go, ‘Were you in the jungle? I don’t remember watching that!’ And I say, ‘I was in there with Pete and Kate’, and they go, ‘Oh, I remember that now!’ And then I tell them, ‘I bloody won it!’
“They [the producers] always try to recreate that and you’re never, ever going to get it. That was a complete one-off. They tried it with Joey Essex and Amy Willerton, but I don’t think it’ll ever work again.”
This time, of course, the series has moved from the tropical jungle in Australia at the height of summer, to ancient Gwrych Castle in north Wales during the UK winter, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
And mum-of-five Kerry admits she would struggle if she were part of the celebrity line-up in this year’s series, and predicts the celebrities – including Olympian Sir Mo Farah and TV host Vernon Kay – will, too.
“Without a doubt, this series will be a million times harder for them,” she says. “I think a lot of people are going to be frazzled and do outrageous things that they wouldn’t normally do, because they’ll be cold and wet, living outside, possibly with people they don’t like, and having no food – they will become very irritable, very quickly. It’s going to be extremely difficult for them but, my God, it’s going to make great entertainment!”
Check out: I'm A Celeb 2020 line-up
I'm A Celeb 2020 official line-up - slider
1 of 12Vernon Kay
TV presenter Vernon Kay has finally agreed to take part in I'm A Celeb after being approached by producers multiple times. He says his daughters Phoebe and Amber are the reason he's doing the show, although we're sure his reported £250k fee has something to do with it too...
2 of 12Victoria Derbyshire
BBC news presenter Victoria Derbyshire has signed up for I'm A Celeb as beating breast cancer has made her determined to take on new challenges. She says, "I am now saying 'yes' to stuff I wouldn't have done previously. And, if I don't do my boys proud, I will never live it down!"
3 of 12Shane Richie
EastEnders legend Shane Richie, who played Alfie Moon on the BBC One soap, has been keeping his involvement in I'm A Celeb secret since January, when he first agreed to take part. He says his biggest phobia is human faeces - guess he won't be signing up to empty the dunny then.
4 of 12Hollie Arnold
Although Paralympian Hollie Arnold is used to racking up the medals on the athletics track, she's admitted she's not even thought about the possibility of winning I'm A Celeb. She explains, "I haven't thought about it as you get lost in thought. But if I could get that far, it would be incredible and change my life!"
5 of 12Jordan North
Radio 1 DJ Jordan North says he has "so many phobias" but is looking forward to heading into camp as he gets to meet his childhood heroes Ant and Dec.
6 of 12Beverley Callard
Beverley Callard has played Coronation Street icon Liz McDonald on and off for more than 30 years but she says the biggest misconception about her is that she's as glamorous as her on-screen character. "I hate being dressed up and I don't care if my nails break either! I am quite at home in comfy baggy clothes," she says.
7 of 12AJ Pritchard
Professional dancer AJ Pritchard says, "Doing I'm A Celebrity is a childhood dream come true," and couldn't help but throw a little shade at Strictly Come Dancing after quitting the show, adding, "I was so excited to watch the return of Strictly this Autumn but now I am going to be on an even better show! I can't wait!"
8 of 12Giovanna Fletcher
Although author and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher will miss the three children she shares her husband Tom, of McFly fame, she says, "I know it is something we can talk about for years to come and say 'remember when mum did that thing!'"
9 of 12Mo Farah
Although he's known for his massive success on the running track, Olympic hero Mo Farah says, "It will be nice for people to see me doing something other than running." He reckons his role in camp will be the cook.
10 of 12Jessica Plummer
Former EastEnders actress Jessica Plummer admits it will be hard to give up her luxuries and live in the camp's basic conditions but she's hoping taking part in I'm A Celeb will help her cure her phobias. She says, "I have got all the phobias. When my friends see me too, they are going to say 'what the hell? This doesn't make sense!"
11 of 12Ruthie Henshall
West End and Broadway actress Ruthie Henshall is the first of two late entrants heading into camp.
12 of 12Russell Watson
Opera singer Russell Watson will be joining Ruthie as the second late entrant.
A year after winning the show, Kerry was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She says, “I would be gutted if I’d signed up this year and they told me it was in the UK in winter – it’s just not exotic, unlike the Australian summer. I also really struggle with long, dark nights because of my bipolar, and the celebs will find that their days seem a lot longer.
“Beverley Callard is in it, and she is a fellow bipolar sufferer. All I did the first week was cry and say, ‘I just want to go home.’ So my advice to her would be to give it time, find your feet, and get a routine.
“I do feel sorry for them all though, because they have lost the only perks the show offered. One of the best things as a contestant is getting on that 24-hour flight all the way over to Australia, first bloody class!
“That’s what I looked forward to more than anything. And I thought, ‘If I get kicked out, I’ll just go on the p*ss with Ant and Dec in Australia.’ But because I won, I had to go home the next day and didn’t get a chance to do that.”
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For Kerry, though – who famously spent her childhood in and out of foster care – her biggest achievement of the show was winning over the public.
She says, “It was feeling the love of the nation. That to me is something I’ve never felt before. Because of my past, winning and knowing all these people voted for me was such an overwhelming feeling.
“I am really looking forward to seeing how this series turns out – I think it’ll be great entertainment, and exactly what the country needs right now.”
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.