Viewers of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! were treated to an unforgettable moment as actress Shona McGarty left hosts Ant and Dec utterly bemused with her highly unusual reaction to being showered in insects during her first jungle trial.
An Unforgettable Toilet Trial
The latest preview from the show's Dreaded Dunnies challenge featured Shona, 34, taking on the gruelling task alongside fellow celebrities Jack Osbourne, Alex Scott and Martin Kemp. The four campmates found themselves sitting side by side on revolting toilets while various critters rained down upon them as they attempted to secure stars for their hungry camp.
In a moment that quickly captured attention, as cockroaches covered Shona's body, the former EastEnders actress responded not with screams of terror but by breaking into song. She melodiously sang "Let it rain down on me" while continuing to focus on the trial at hand.
The unexpected musical interjection prompted an amused response from presenter Ant McPartlin, who asked: 'Do you often sing on the toilet, Shona?' Without missing a beat, Shona responded by singing "Oh my God", leading Ant to quip: 'I'll take that as a yes. She could've just said yes, but I like it.'
Behind the Brave Face
This jungle appearance marks a significant personal milestone for Shona, who recently revealed her ongoing battle with anxiety and depression. Speaking to Daily Mail ahead of entering the jungle, she confessed: 'My anxiety and my depression has been pretty bad over the last, I'd say, at least four or five years.'
She explained how her mental health struggles had prevented her from pursuing many opportunities, stating: 'That has stopped me from doing a lot of things I've always wanted to do, and I've come to a point in my life where I don't want to let the anxiety win.'
The actress also recently called off her engagement to musician David Bracken because 'they wanted different things', adding another layer of personal transformation to her jungle journey.
Campmate Selection and Future Challenges
The Dreaded Dunnies trial participants were selected through a combination of public voting and choices made by new arrivals Vogue Williams and Tom Read Wilson, who serve as the camp's Chief Explorers. While the public voted for media personality Jack Osbourne, 40, and former Lioness Alex Scott, 41, to face the challenge, the ITV2 spin-off show Unpacked revealed that host Joel Dommett announced Shona and Spandau Ballet's Martin Kemp, 64, as the Chief Explorers' selections.
Shona has described her participation in the ITV flagship reality show as 'a new chapter for me', explaining: 'This is a chance for not just the public to get to know me, but for me to get to know me again.' She expressed hope that the experience would help her reconnect with herself away from the character she portrayed for many years on television.
Fans will need to tune into tonight's episode on ITV1 and ITVX to discover how the group ultimately fared in the Dreaded Dunnies and whether Shona's unique coping mechanism helped her secure those crucial stars for camp.
