Reality TV personality Matt Zukowski has made startling revelations about his short-lived marriage to high-profile fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow, describing the union as 'pretty scary'. The comments came in a teaser for the upcoming season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Australia, where the 30-year-old is a new contestant.
Jungle Fears Pale in Comparison to Marriage
In the Channel 10 trailer, Zukowski is heard reflecting on his decision to enter the jungle. 'I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about going,' he admits in a voice-over. However, he quickly puts his fears into perspective by adding, 'But I've just got out of a pretty scary marriage, so how scary can this actually be?' The trailer showed a blurred image of the model navigating the wilderness.
Zukowski, a former Love Island Australia star, also suggested the public underestimates him. 'I have probably done nothing in my life to prepare me for the jungle,' he conceded. 'I think that people think that I’m just a dumb, pretty face. But there is a lot more to me. I’m here to discover more about myself and leave my comfort zone.' His casting was officially announced on Tuesday night alongside former Married at First Sight participant Cyrell Paule.
A Whirlwind Romance and Swift Split
The couple's relationship moved at a rapid pace. Matt Zukowski and Tammy Hembrow got engaged in December 2023 after just three months of dating. They proceeded to tie the knot in November 2024, but the marriage was short-lived. By June of last year, merely seven months after their wedding, the pair announced they were divorcing.
Since the split, Zukowski has embraced single life. Speaking on his podcast Where's Your Head At? with co-host Anna McEvoy, he insisted, 'I've definitely never been happier being single. I'm enjoying that.' He revealed he has been on casual dates, stating, 'I'm open to a lot of things, been on a couple of movie dates. That's all I'm going to say.'
Moving On and Lingering Hurt
The aftermath of the divorce has seen both parties linked to new romances. Tammy Hembrow was rumoured to be dating AFL star Bailey Smith, 25, though the Geelong player recently insisted they were 'just friends'. More recently, speculation has swirled that Hembrow is rekindling her relationship with ex-fiancé Reece Hawkins. Insiders claim the fitness influencer, 31, has been spending time with Hawkins at her Gold Coast property. The former couple shared a four-year romance before splitting in 2018 and have two children together: a son, Wolf, 10, and a daughter, Saskia, eight.
For his part, Matt Zukowski has admitted to feeling 'hurt' watching Hembrow move on so quickly after their breakup. He has also hinted that he was the one who initiated the end of the marriage, countering speculation that Hembrow took the lead. As he now faces the challenges of the jungle, it appears his personal trials have provided an unexpected form of preparation for the reality TV ordeal ahead.
