I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star Shona McGarty has opened up about a long-term struggle with anxiety that nearly prevented her from joining the show. The 34-year-old former EastEnders actress revealed that she had turned down many opportunities in the past due to the condition, which she described as 'horrible' and 'overwhelming'.
Speaking on Joe Law's Yellowbelly podcast, McGarty recalled a particularly difficult moment during a live interview on This Morning, where she felt unable to respond. 'I just went into trauma mode and I just did this [stared with no emotion] and I just sat there and I looked really casual and arrogant,' she said. She added that she had to bring co-star Ricky Norwood for moral support during such appearances.
The actress explained that her anxiety first manifested as physical symptoms, including sweating and a racing heart, during live broadcasts. 'I thought, "What's happening to me?" My hands were sweating. I just felt my heart going and I thought, "This isn't me. What? I'm going to faint,"' she recalled. After consulting her GP, she was diagnosed with anxiety and has since received support to manage it.
McGarty, who played Whitney Dean on EastEnders for 16 years, decided to join the jungle to challenge herself. 'I'm starting to say yes to everything,' she said. In camp, she has impressed viewers with her singing, performing Tina Turner's Proud Mary. One fan commented, 'Get her and Aitch on a track! What a voice.'
Shona is the last remaining female contestant alongside Tom Read Wilson and Angry Ginge. The winner of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! will be crowned tonight at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.
