David Ginola has spoken out about his secret friendship with I’m A Celebrity hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly ahead of his entry into Gwrych Castle this month.
In the run up to Christmas, the 54-year-old will be swapping out his training gear for his camping equipment as he prepares to make the castle grounds his home for the next three weeks.
The former footballing legend is the latest celebrity to be confirmed for the I’m A Celeb 2021 line-up of the show, who will be joining the likes of Frankie Bridge, Richard Madeley and Arlene Phillips.
And as the doting dad-of-two prepares to leave his loving family, the Newcastle United player is hoping his offscreen friendship with the TV double act will help him on the hit ITV reality show.
(Image: Getty Images)
After the former Newcastle and Spurs player retired in 2002, he admitted he is excited to catch up with the programme’s famous double act in the castle after meeting them on a number of occasions after games he played for their favourite football team.
“I know the Geordies! I’ve met Ant and Dec before and I know their big fans of Newcastle United,” he said.
“When you play for the club (like I did), all of the fans are amazing and very faithful. Newcastle is very lucky to have fans like them!”
(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Image)
And it appears as though his fellow campmates are in for a treat as the former sportsman has proved to be quite the chef in the kitchen.
He added: “I love to cook at home, I like my privacy and so to be there every day being watched and judged, well [my wife] is curious to see how I will cope.
“I am curious to see how I will be outside my comfort zone too. I am hoping to get only good things out of it.”
(Image: ITV)
But David has warned that he doesn’t mind a strict diet of rice and beans in the castle as he hopes the experience will help him to drop some of the lockdown weight he has gained over the past few months.
He explained: “I will be the chef in the camp and rice and beans is perfect for me as I have put on six kilos over the past three months and I think it will be interesting to see if I can lose six kilos in three weeks.
“Because we have been in lockdown many times over the past two years, being locked in a Castle for I’m A Celebrity won’t be an issue for me.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
