Claire Sweeney gave an elaborate excuse as she arrived in Australia, with the former Coronation Street star among the rumoured names set to take part in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! this year.
The hit ITV reality show, hosted by Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly, will return on Monday (November 16) with a new bunch of celebrities swapping their lives of luxury to spend up to three weeks in a camp in the jungle Down Under.
Rumoured Line-Up Arrives Down Under
The last series of the reality show saw social media star and Salford's very own Angry Ginge crowned king of the jungle, with Celebs Go Dating's Tom Read Wilson finishing second and former EastEnders actress Shona McGarty coming third.
The line-up hadn't officially been confirmed by ITV at the time of writing, but according to reports, the likes of Claire, Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, Gavin and Stacey favourite Joanna Page and Paralympian Ade Adepitan will be seen in camp this year, and have already been seen arriving Down Under.
Claire's Excuse at Brisbane Airport
When she appeared at Brisbane Airport on Tuesday (November 10), having been spotted departing from a London airport on Monday (November 9), Claire told the waiting reporters and photographers: "I'm here to get my extensions done."
The 55-year-old remained tight-lipped about going into the jungle, only saying: "I am a big fan of the show; I watch the show you are talking about. I regularly watch."
But she said of being Down Under: "I couldn't get my extensions down in Liverpool so I got an appointment over here to get my nails and my hair done. I love Australia, the people are cool and friendly. It's a home from home."
Return Trip and Schedule Clearance
She said it was a return trip to the country after previously starring in a TV show there. Claire added: "I was here years ago and did a TV show called Challenge of a Lifetime. Last time I was here I was crawling between two skyscrapers on a wire on my stomach. ...that was 20 years ago."
The former Brookside star, who first became a household name playing Lindsey Corkhill in the Channel 4 soap, also joked that she could "swing by Neighbours" in homage to the soap opera.
The mum-of-one, who shares son Jaxon, 12, with her ex Daniel Reilly, has cleared her schedule for that long-haul flight out to Australia. She recently dropped out of playing Miss Hannigan in the UK tour of Annie The Musical to be able to enter the jungle, having left Corrie to take on the dream role earlier this year.
