'She's a funny lady': Stacey Solomon opens up about Gillian McKeith and said she only saw the 'jokey' side of her

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDsLBu8ra0Aendofvid

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By GEORGINA LITTLEJOHN


Queen of the jungle: Stacey Solomon talks about her time in the jungle on This Morning today


She might have rubbed all the other campmates up the wrong way with her fainting spells and constant moaning about the Bushtucker Trials.

But Gillian McKeith will always have a fan in Stacey Solomon, who defended the nutritionist today live on TV.

In her first TV interview since being crowned I'm A Celebity's Queen of the Jungle, Solomon said she really liked the Scotswoman.

And speaking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning today, she said she only saw the fun side to her.

She said: 'I really cared about Gillian...genuinely. She's a funny lady - we only ever saw the side of her that was funny and jokey and a little bit scared of things, we didn't see all the trials and what everyone else was seeing.'

And she admitted that she thought that the public were only voting for Gillian to do all the Bushtucker Trials because they thought she was good fun.


Rainforest friends: Stacey she she really liked Gillian McKeith and only saw the fun side to her


And when Schofield told her that Gillian was 'driving us mad', Stacey replied: 'Well we didn't know - we are just thinking she is funny and that everyone wants to see her again.

'So she was coming back and cooking us food and putting her contraband in and we were like "wicked, cheers Gillian" and then it got to a point where I didn't want to ever say anything bad behind her back, and it scares you because she's got two children at home watching and maybe I should just say what I think.'

Stacey also said she still can't believe she was crowned the winner and managed to last the three weeks inside the jungle camp.

She said: 'I remember before I went in You Tubed every single bush tucker trial there's ever been I kept thinking I've got to see what I'm getting myself into! And each time [I saw one] I was like "Oh no!"


Reunited: Stacey gives Gillian a warm hug upon leaving the show last Saturday


'All my family were like "good luck" and "we'll see you in two days". No one thought - even I didn't think I could do anything in there, I was just like "do your best and see what happens".

'I look at clips and I can't believe I did that! There's nothing on there that I look at and think "yeah, I could do that again" but it's literally you've got to feed people and you've signed yourself up to something and you're thinking "just do it, just do it".'

But she admitted that one of the Bushtrucker Trials, that required her to eat kangaroo parts, was the worst part of the experience.

She laughed and said: 'They were the worst! They are so chewy and you don't want to be chewing and having this thing in your mouth! You just can't swallow it and then you've got Bob going "don't swallow this one whole, this is a big one". You are just thinking "I want it gone, get it out!"'


Time of her life: Stacey said she enjoyed every moment as an I'm A Celebrity contestant


And when Schofield gushed that she was ' just so positive!' she admitted that she must have annoyed her camp mates at times.

She said: 'It must be annoying for people because sometimes everyone has their down days and I was just like "come on, lets go swimming or lets cook some rice!" because I really did enjoy it in there.

'I really wanted to make the most of it because I know how quickly things are over - X Factor was on for three months and it was gone in seconds - so [I thought] three weeks is just going to go so I wanted to enjoy every second.

'But I think for some people that's a bit frustrating because they just want to have a down day, and I'm like [waving arms in the air] "Hello!"'


Better than bugs and cockroaches: Stacey tucks in as she joins chef - and last year's I'm A Celebrity winner Gino D'Campo and Leigh Francis as Keith Lemon for a cooking segment on the show


She also didn't mind the rain and told her hosts that it gave her an excuse not to wash and not 'get in that cold pool!'

But she said the worst part of being in the jungle was missing her two-year-old son Zach and not being able to talk to him or hug him.

She said: 'If I had my Zach there and my family I could've lived there forever! The hardest thing was knowing that he could see me every day but that I can't cuddle him or kiss him or tell him what I'm doing.'

And she also revealed that she would love to do a duet with runner-up Shaun Ryder, and giggled: 'Well you never know... We are such opposites but I love him so much!'
Overall, she said the experience was 'everything and more' and added: 'I've never felt like I've overcome things like I overcame things in their and I've never felt so lucky to be alive and lucky to have everything.'


Star of the show: Stacey looked very chic and seasonal in her beige cape as she left the This Morning studios


source: dailymail
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