In an explosive post-eviction interview, cult favourite Ruby Wax has pulled no punches, branding campmate Shona McGarty "selfish" and revealing the truth behind the speculated jungle romance. The 72-year-old star, who left viewers devastated when she became the fifth celebrity to be voted out of the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! camp, spoke exclusively about the behind-the-scenes drama that never made it to air.
The Truth Behind the Jungle Romance That Never Was
Wax has definitively shattered any lingering hopes of a jungle love story between EastEnders actress Shona McGarty, 34, and rapper Aitch, 25. She revealed that McGarty secretly confided in her that the musician was "not her type at all," a confession omitted from the ITV broadcast. "She said she likes hunky, bigger men so that she feels female, so he wasn't on the list at all," Wax disclosed, also pointing to the significant age gap between the two.
The comedian admitted she had been playing matchmaker, hoping for a fairy-tale ending. "I wanted her to marry him. I thought we could have children and we’d live in the forest forever," she quipped. "I just saw the two youngest people, and they both sing. Why not? I was doing mating rituals. But then she wasn’t interested." This revelation comes after Aitch himself admitted to having a "soft spot" for Shona, and hosts Ant and Dec expressed their desire for a camp romance.
Rule-Breaking and 'Selfish' Contraband
Wax saved her sternest criticism for the covert smuggling of contraband into the camp, singling out Shona McGarty's actions. She branded the actress "selfish" and "entitled" for secretly scoffing butter that had been smuggled in, and expressed shock over other undisclosed rule-breaking, including Alex Scott bringing in salt.
"That’s selfish….Shona was an insecure, kind of anxious person, and she’s come out of herself, and she’s verging on kind of entitlement," Wax stated. "She started off a really shy, inhibited person, and now look at her." She was equally baffled by the discovery of air freshener for the camp's toilet, questioning the priorities of those who brought it. "We have no food and somebody cares about what their body smells like? It’s a s***hole," she exclaimed.
Wax took pride in having "obeyed the rules" and said she would have "ripped it out of her hand" had she seen the contraband, arguing that the secret stash jeopardised the entire camp.
Hunger, Hideous Food, and Lasting Friendships
The veteran performer revealed the hardest part of her jungle stint was intense hunger, admitting she barely ate due to the "appalling" Bushtucker Trials fare. "It was always appalling. A chicken with web feet on it that was black. An eel with teeth or a crocodile with the fingernails," she described. She dismissed fellow campmate Jack's optimistic comparisons to chicken, simply stating: "It was hideous."
In contrast, she loved her time as camp leader, chiefly because it meant she "never had to do work." She joked, "The Queen doesn’t have to work, and I would have stayed in that role ‘til the end."
Despite the criticisms, Wax spoke warmly of the deep bonds formed in camp, particularly with Ginge, Lisa Riley, Aitch, and Tom. She said being apart from Lisa Riley felt like being "ripped from the womb," and plans to hold Ginge to a promise of collaborating on a streaming show in the future. "It would make me more popular, because I didn’t know about streaming. I’m 12 years out," she admitted, highlighting her newfound appreciation for the world of reality TV and digital entertainment.
