James Haskell and Mike Tindall have revealed they hid in the toilet while competing in I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! in order to avoid conflict.
The former rugby union players appeared on the ITV reality show in 2019 and 2022 respectively.
Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain (GMB) on Monday, Tindall said Haskell gave him “some very good advice” before he entered the Australian jungle.
‘As a man, being honest and open and matching that with your actions is very important’
James Haskell reflects on the importance of speaking out as he and Mike Tindall chat about their brand new book, ‘The Good, The Bad & The Rugby’ which documents their podcast show reflecting… pic.twitter.com/4o8znJiKTY
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 4, 2024
The 46-year-old said: “(It was) basically to avoid… this might sound negative, but obviously the cameras are on you for 24 hours a day, yet the actual showpiece of what you’re seeing is about 20 minutes.
“So anything can be turned into whatever it might become. And he was like ‘Stay away from anything that isn’t comfortable’.
“And (if) it all fails, you don’t understand the situation, just go to the toilet.”
“I hid in the dunny a lot,” said Haskell.
The 39-year-old added: “We’ve got to remember that the show is an amazing opportunity.
“But you’ve got people who handle pressure very differently and bring their own problems to the door. And people have very different political views, whatever it might be, religious views.
“You sit around, you’re very bored, and one of the things that people forget about I’m A Celebrity… You think you’re punishing someone by giving them all the tasks – actually punishing them is not (being) chosen for anything, because you have to sit around all day doing nothing, and that is excruciatingly painful.
“If you wanted to punish him, you should have just left him in that camp and done nothing, because when you sit around there, people will come down and sit down.”
Haskell recalled walking away after someone in camp told him Barack Obama was “the most corrupt president there’s ever been”.
He added: “People sometimes forget where they are. So I just said to Mike ‘Look, you’re not going to solve anything. Pick your battles, and if it gets outrageous, go and sit in the dunny’.
“I sat behind that curtain a number of times going ‘Why have I agreed to do this?’.”
Former health secretary Matt Hancock took part in I’m A Celebrity in 2022 and was subjected to numerous punishing and disgusting tasks, including being made to eat a camel’s penis and being covered in creepy crawlies.
He had resigned from his Cabinet role the previous year for breaking social distancing guidance by kissing and embracing an aide in his office.
This year’s I’m A Celebrity contestants have yet to be revealed by ITV.
Former Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse, champion boxer Barry McGuigan and N-Dubz band member Tulisa Contostavlos are among the famous faces reportedly heading into the Australian jungle.
