Gillian McKeith has confessed that she can’t “touch” spaghetti as her traumatic experience on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! gives her flashbacks.
The 65-year-old holistic nutritionist, who famously collapsed during a live trial on the ITV show back in 2010 and refused to participate in Bushtucker Trials, likened the pasta to “worms”. She told Bella magazine: “After going on I’m A Celebrity!, I can’t touch spaghetti – it looks like worms and reminds me of being back in the jungle.”
Not just troubled by pasta, the television personality also has a strong aversion to mushrooms. She said: “I don’t like mushrooms, I absolutely hate them! It’s the texture, it makes me feel sick.”
Defending herself against those who doubted the authenticity of her on-show collapse, Gillian has repeatedly stated it was due to her extreme entomophobia—insects terrify her.
Sharing an anecdote about her crippling fear of spiders, Gillian revealed a unique solution to BANG Showbiz at the Ghosted film premiere at Leicester Square in 2023, where she said she enlists taxi drivers to come into her home to deal with the eight-legged intruders.
During her exclusive chat with BANG Showbiz, she opened up about her fears, saying: “I don’t think anyone realised just how scared I was of insects. People say to me, ‘Why don’t you go and get hypnotised then and deal with it that way?’ But the thing is I’m never in a situation where I’m living with these creepy crawlies to that level. So I don’t really want to do it.”
She added: “If I find a spider here is what I do, I call a local taxi service and they come and help me. Then after I do it they ask me, ‘Well, where do you want to go,’ and I say, ‘I don’t want to go anywhere I just need help.'”
Gillian McKeith made her comeback on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in 2023, joining the all-star cast including her old campmate Shaun Ryder, and Carol Vorderman for the celebrated ITV show’s special edition.
Despite feeling more “apprehensive and petrified” than before, she decided to take part in the series again to represent those who are easily frightened across the nation.
Regarding her 2023 appearance, the TV personality shared: “Now when I think about doing I’m A Celebrity again, I feel apprehensive and petrified. It’s going to be more terrifying this time because, back then, I didn’t know what to expect, but this time I can’t use that as an excuse.”
She added: “What I felt before feels 1000 times worse now and all of it freaks me out, but I feel I’ve got a calling to represent all the scaredy cats in Britain – and that is the reason why I’ve said yes.”
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