Harry Redknapp, the oldest ever winner of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, has delivered a characteristically blunt verdict on contestants who complain in the jungle: stop whinging and get on with it.
No-Nonsense Advice for Campmates
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, the 78-year-old football management legend dismissed any sympathy for stars who kick up a fuss during the ITV show. Redknapp, who triumphed in the 2018 series at the age of 71, argued that participants are handsomely rewarded and face no real danger.
"It's not great in the jungle, but the people running the show aren't going to give you food that will kill you," Redknapp stated. "You will not be asked to do anything that will actually endanger your life. I would tell anyone out there to simply get on with it. You're getting paid well, so embrace it."
Backing for a Surprise Winner
Watching the current series from his home in Dorset, Redknapp has been sizing up the competition. While he admitted he would have liked to see Martin Kemp win, praising his song 'Indestructible', his prediction lies elsewhere.
"But I think this character, Angry Ginge, could win it," Redknapp revealed. "I know that he has a lot of followers, whatever that means. I haven't a clue what he does for a living, but I believe he is very popular."
Jungle Life Was 'Nothing' Compared to Childhood Hardships
Redknapp's tough-love attitude is rooted in a childhood that made three weeks of rice, beans, and bush tucker trials seem easy. He spent long summers in Kent with his nan, harvesting hop flowers in austere post-war conditions.
"We lived in huts - four or so in a row. They were made of asbestos and there was nothing inside except for the heavy, wooden base of a bed. No mattresses," he recalled. The facilities were basic, with no electricity, gas, or running water. Toilets were scattered around the fields and, just like in the jungle, did not flush for the entire stay.
His days started at six in the morning, packing hops into 'bushels' for about a shilling each, under the watchful eye of strict 'measurers'. Evenings were spent sleeping on sacks stuffed with straw, listening to mice scurrying. "Food was cooked on an open fire. A potato or an apple," he said, a far cry from modern celebrity life.
Reflecting on his own 2018 jungle stint, where he missed his wife Sandra's jam roly-poly and refused to eat wallaby, Redknapp's no-nonsense charm won the nation. He beat campmates including Emily Atack, Anne Hegerty, John Barrowman, and Sair Khan to be crowned King of the Jungle, proving that grit and a sense of humour go a long way.
