‘I won I’m A Celebrity but soon regretted it after life took turn for the worst’

The I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! star, who went on to present the spin-off after his win, later admitted he regretted appearing on the ITV show

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Ant and Dec have hosted I’m A Celebrity since the show’s inception(Image: ITV)

A former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! star once voiced his regret about appearing on the programme, despite clinching the crown. While this year’s champion, Angry Ginge, might currently be basking in the wealth of fresh prospects the series has opened up, it hasn’t always proved beneficial for all participants.

Busted frontman Matt Willis was crowned King of the Jungle in 2006, triumphing over Myleene Klass and Jason Donovan in the finale. At the time, the musician seemed delighted with his win, marking the victory alongside fellow campmates and veteran hosts Ant and Dec. His then-fiancée Emma Willis was also there to congratulate him, meeting him on the iconic bridge as his jungle adventure concluded.

After his triumph, Matt, 42, teamed up with Emma to front the ITV2 spin-off show for two series, before they stepped away to focus on starting a family.

Despite the programme appearing to be a joyful chapter in his life, Matt subsequently branded his decision to participate as “a mistake”. Speaking candidly on his On The Mend podcast, he revealed: “I was thinking of a time when I lost my own narrative.

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Matt Willis won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2006 

“And the one thing that springs to mind the most was leaving I’m a Celebrity, I was in a pretty bad place.

“The record company basically wasn’t going to release my solo album. They said, ‘You’ve got to do something to raise your profile. Will you go on I’m a Celebrity?’ I went, ‘Yep, absolutely. Anything, please release my album!’”

Despite the surge in his popularity, the father-of-three confessed it wasn’t quite the fame he’d envisioned. “Once I came out of that show, I realised no one cared that I had a record out,” he shared candidly.

“Everywhere I went, they just wanted to talk about I’m a Celebrity and it really bummed me out.”

Matt continued: “Before I went on that show, I was only really famous to Busted fans. Then I came out and everyone knew who I was.

He described the sudden spotlight as a “weird experience” for someone who was battling addiction at the time, concluding: “It was probably a bit of a mistake going on that show.”

Angry Ginge is the new King of the Jungle 

Matt has since returned to his musical roots with Busted and has also taken up several presenting roles, including hosting Love is Blind UK alongside Emma.

The vocalist is among the 25 winners of the show, with the latest title going to 24-year-old streamer Angry Ginge.

The social media sensation clinched the crown after bagging 53 percent of the vote, beating Tom Read Wilson and Shona McGarty.

As the reigning champion, Angry Ginge was bestowed with a floral crown and wooden sceptre by last year’s winner, Danny Jones. However, during a chat on This Morning, the McFly star revealed he didn’t get to keep any of the winning items.

“I didn’t get to keep anything! They wouldn’t let me keep anything!” he exclaimed. “I had to give the sceptre back.

“I really wanted to bring it through airport security because it’s quite big,” he chuckled. “But yeah, I don’t have anything to show for it.”