An I’m A Celebrity veteran has opened up about his difficulties in the jungle
Former England cricketer Phil Tufnell found himself frustrated by one particular element of jungle life during his second appearance on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
The Barnet-born sportsman transitioned into television after retiring from cricket in 2002, making a significant impression on the small screen. Just 12 months after retiring, he entered the ITV reality show and went on to be crowned king of the jungle.
His triumph on the programme led to regular appearances on British telly, featuring on They Think It’s All Over, Strictly Come Dancing and spending 13 years as a panellist on the BBC’s A Question of Sport.
Whilst one jungle experience might satisfy most contestants, the 59-year-old returned for an All Stars edition titled I’m a Celebrity… South Africa in 2023. The series brought back former participants, with Tufnell appearing alongside personalities including Amir Khan, Carol Vorderman, Paul Burrell and Joe Swash.
Two decades had passed since he’d last endured the challenging conditions of camp life, seemingly long enough for him to forget how terrible the food was. Reflecting on his African adventure, he told Betway: “It was great to do it in a different place and Kruger National Park is an incredible place to be. Baboons were running about, it was amazing.
“Eagles were flying above you and there were vultures in the trees. When you were walking to get the water, you’d see deer and all these incredible animals. It was quite scary, but you’re well-protected.”
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Speaking about his frustration with the notorious rice and beans diet, he said: “The food got on my nerves a bit more. I forgot how awful the rice and beans were. My first time on the show, the food was actually decent. When we got treated to dinner after winning enough stars, it was quite good.
“We’d have these weird foods we’ve never had before, and sometimes bits of seafood, but we had the chef Antony Worrall Thompson with us. That is my one recommendation if you go on the show. Make sure you have a chef with you for as long as possible.
“When Anthony left, we all just threw the rice and beans in the pot and stirred it around. But he would work his magic. During All Stars, Myleene was very good at cooking too. She would fry the rice and that made it a lot better.”
During his 16-year cricketing career, Tufnell played in 42 Test matches and 20 One Day Internationals for the England cricket team and was part of the squad that won the Ashes in 1997.
It was Australia who won the first Test at Perth Stadium last week of the 2025 Ashes and Tufnell detailed what makes competing down under so difficult. “You take on every layer of Australian society when you go over there,” he said recently.
“Whether it’s the bloke opening the bloody door at the hotel for you, the bloke making your breakfast or the guy driving the bus on the way to the ground. You know you’re in it, you really do.
“These guys have played up the pressure. They’ve played in front of big crowds. They know what’s happening. They know but it will still be a factor and you still have to sort of embrace it.”
