Kelly Brook has revealed why she finally agreed to take part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! despite previously vowing never to enter the jungle.
The model, actress and presenter, who rose to fame as a glamour model, is set to swap red carpets for khaki shorts, muddy boots and a wide-brimmed hat after being inspired by running this year’s London Marathon.
The 45-year-old Heart FM DJ admitted that completing the 26-mile race gave her a huge boost in self-belief.
“I have said I will never do I’m A Celebrity… several times. I didn’t think it was ever in me to do the challenges and Bushtucker Trials,” she told ITV.
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Kelly Brook previously said she would never enter the jungle
|ITV
“But since I have been with my husband, we have done a few things that I’ve surprised myself by. We did Race Across the World, and I ran the London Marathon this year, two things I never thought I had in me.
“I’m such a fan of the show that I thought, ‘Maybe I could do it, maybe I could cope.’ I won’t know unless I try, so I am going to throw myself into it.”
Ms Brook revealed that her husband, Jeremy Parisi, also encouraged her to take on the challenge.
However, creepy crawlies aren’t the only thing she’s worried about, as the star admitted she’s terrified of heights.
The full cast lineup for I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 2025
|ITV
“I am terrified of escalators, especially really steep ones,” she said. “I always have to be sandwiched in between people and I don’t like taking lifts either. But it’s now or never.”
Ms Brook and Mr Parisi previously competed together on Celebrity Race Across the World, travelling from Belém, Brazil, through South America to the finish line in Frutillar, Chile, which they described as their “honeymoon”.
Despite finishing last, they said they were moved by the kindness of strangers along the way.
Ms Brook acknowledged that I’m A Celebrity will be her toughest challenge yet. “On Race Across the World, I had Jeremy who was really the driving force behind it. He kept me going and not having his support is going to be difficult," she went on.
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Ant and Dec are back in the jungle this year for the new season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
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“I will have to do this on my own two feet. It’s the longest we will have been apart, but we are seeing it as a hiatus from married life!”
The model confessed she’s done little preparation ahead of entering the jungle, apart from cutting down on coffee and sugar.
“I said I was going to go to the gym and do some big hikes. I haven’t done any of that.
“I’ve been fattening myself up in the run-up, chocolate, roast dinners and a few glasses of wine. I also had a little wobble, but that was more about what the dog was going to do while I was away.
"I will literally be arriving unprepared. But I did a month of Vegan January once, and I was living on beans then.”
Despite the daunting trials ahead, Ms Brook said she’s packed the essentials, including her bikini. When asked if she might recreate Myleene Klass’s famous jungle shower moment, she said: “It’s definitely an iconic moment, isn’t it?
“It’s scary, but I have lots of swimwear options. I will be packing some bikinis. I’ve also heard doing this programme can be life-changing, so that’s very exciting.
“A lot of people have said they go in and come out a different person. They’ve said it changes your whole outlook on life, and I hope to have an experience like that. I want to come out from something so mad, fun and brilliant and have a spiritual awakening.”
Kelly Brook was inspired to enter the jungle after completing the London Marathon
|PA
The model added: “I’d be following in the footsteps of some incredible women like Vicky Pattison and Giovanna Fletcher. I’d be very flattered. People love the show from all age groups, we love it as a family, and this is going to be great. It’s so out of my comfort zone.
“But the challenge I am most dreading is the eating trials. They are very difficult to watch and to get your head around. They do not look edible. In my mind, I’ve got to see it as good protein intake.”
Ms Brook isn't new to the media spotlight. Born in Rochester, Kent, in 1979, she studied at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts before starting her modelling career at 16 after winning a local beauty competition her mother entered her into.
Her looks and personality quickly made her a household name in the late 1990s and 2000s, appearing in magazines including FHM and Maxim, and being voted FHM’s Sexiest Woman in the World in 2005.
The DJ married her long-time partner, French model and actor Mr Parisi, in 2022.
Ms Brook will be joined in the jungle by Ruby Wax OBE, Martin Kemp, Jack Osbourne, and rapper Aitch, alongside Alex Scott MBE, content creator Angry Ginge, Shona McGarty, Eddie Kadi and Lisa Riley.