As I'm A Celebrity contestant Kelly Brook prepares for her iconic moment in the jungle shower, the model and presenter is reflecting on a career where her body has been constantly scrutinised - and her refreshingly frank responses to it.
From Page Three to jungle queen
Kelly Brook, who began modelling at just 16 years old, is no stranger to public attention on her physique. The 45-year-old first shot to fame as a lingerie model after being discovered by the Daily Star and later crowned FHM's Sexiest Woman in the World in 2005. Her appeal wasn't limited to male audiences either - a poll of more than 5,000 women voted hers the best British female body.
Now, following in the footsteps of fellow Loose Women panelist Myleene Klass - whose jungle shower moment made headlines almost two decades ago - Brook is fully prepared to strip off to a bikini on the ITV show. Given her history of sharing swimwear photos online, she anticipates her weight will once again become a topic of discussion.
The truth behind the scales
Despite her glamorous image, Brook has revealed that being slim didn't equate to happiness. "I think I definitely had my moments of feeling very insecure," she told Grazia. "When you go through break-ups and things like that, it really impacts your diet, and some of my skinniest times were also some of my most miserable."
The Heart Radio presenter, who married long-term boyfriend Jeremy Parisi in 2022, has embraced her changing shape as she's matured. "The best part about getting older is that all those insecurities just fade away," she explained. "You think outside yourself and are no longer as self-obsessed or self-focused."
Navigating trolls and body changes
Despite her confidence, Brook hasn't been immune to cruel comments from online trolls about her weight gain. In 2020, she revealed she'd been branded "past her best" and "unsexy." She told FEMAIL: "They see me as this 40-year-old fat girl and they're like no! I get it, it's funny. But people grow up, people get bigger, people change, it happens."
Even with her body-positive outlook, Brook admitted struggling with her weight in 2017 when she reached a size 16. After a photographer rudely told her to "breathe in," she began the SlimFast programme a year later, losing two stone and dropping four dress sizes. She's now a proud ambassador for the brand.
"I wasn't feeling happy in my body. I wanted to lose weight, and now I've lost it. I'm maintaining it and feel really good," she told the Mirror while training for the London Marathon.
Brook acknowledges the challenge of accepting her changing body: "I'm just trying to embrace the changes as I get older. I'm not trying to hold on to the body of my 21-year-old self, I've got to embrace that it's different." She added: "I've learned, especially training for the London Marathon, I just want to be fit and strong. I'm no longer into looking a certain way. I just want my body to work and be able to do amazing things."
Kelly Brook joins other celebrities including Lisa Riley, Ruby Wax and Martin Kemp in the Australian jungle for the latest series of I'm A Celebrity, hosted by Ant and Dec on ITV.
