In an exclusive and deeply personal interview, Emmerdale favourite Lisa Riley has shared the profoundly emotional reasons behind her decision to enter the I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! jungle, citing the loss of her beloved mother and her best friend as her driving inspiration.
A Mother's Lasting Legacy
Speaking from her Australian hotel room before facing the jungle, Lisa revealed her late mother, Cath, has been at the forefront of her mind. Assigned a chaperone since arriving in Queensland, the actress has found unexpected comfort in sharing memories of her mum, who passed away from breast cancer in 2012 at just 57 years old.
The pair were incredibly close, speaking on the phone at least ten times a day before Cath's death. Lisa admits she feels her mother's presence, believing it's a heavenly message encouraging her to take on this new challenge. She shared, "I can't help feel that maybe it is my mum in heaven giving me a message to do the show. She would be saying: 'go on, knock them dead and just have a laugh.'"
While confident her mum would be proud, Lisa also imagines her "sat there at nine o'clock, being frantically worried about me." However, she draws strength from her own resilience, built over a three-decade-long career in the entertainment industry that began when she was just 13.
Honouring a Best Friend's Dream
Another profound influence on her decision was the memory of her best friend and former Strictly Come Dancing partner, Robin Windsor, who died last year aged 44. Robin had always been a vocal advocate for Lisa doing the show.
"Robin always wanted to do the show, and he thought I was crazy to have said no after all these years," Lisa recalled. "He would be like 'you'd be f****** hilarious.' I know he is definitely on my shoulder, he will be gleaming with pride."
His absence is another ache she carries, and her participation is, in part, a tribute to his unfulfilled dream.
Embracing Authenticity in the Jungle
Lisa, who is engaged to musician Al, received his full support, albeit with some light-hearted teasing about the camp diet. She is determined to be her completely authentic self for viewers, unconcerned about appearing on television without makeup or with humidity-frazzled hair.
"I love looking raw on TV," she stated. "People will see that I am going to look like an absolute minger, and I will embrace that, because that is the truth of it."
Her body positivity extends to stripping off in camp, proudly declaring, "I have got things that wobble and I like those bits." The only thing that might ruffle her feathers is disloyalty, warning that such behaviour would bring out her full Mandy Dingle ferocity.
The timing for the adventure felt right as she approaches her 50th birthday and celebrates being 10 years sober. She even had to create a codename, 'Costco', to keep her participation a secret from her Emmerdale colleagues, a deception she found mortifying.
Ultimately, Lisa is heading into the jungle with a clear goal: "I just want to enjoy myself and have a right good giggle and probably get covered head to toe in sheep guts while I am doing it." She carries the love and memories of those she's lost as her strongest armour.
