stint

I’m A Celebrity star Leomie Anderson tells the Mirror how she is entering the jungle in memory of her late father

I’m A Celebrity star Leomie Anderson has revealed she is entering the jungle in memory of her father, who died of cancer on Christmas Day.

The Victoria’s Secret model, 33, said her dad and uncle, who have both passed away, were huge fans of the ITV show and she wanted to make them proud by taking part. And she also hopes to use her time in camp to raise awareness of the disease as she believes her father’s reluctance to visit doctors contributed to his illness being diagnosed too late.

Leomie, whose father died in 2022, said: “This show was one of my dad’s and uncle’s favorite shows to watch. So when the opportunity arose, I was like, okay, let me try and do it this year.. Neither of them are here anymore. So it’s emotional, but I’m very very proud that I’ve been able to do it this year, and do it in their memory.”

The London-born model said her father had always been supportive of her career but knew little about the fashion industry, despite her success on some of the world’s biggest catwalks. But I’m A Celebrity was one programme he knew inside out.

She explained: “He didn’t know the designers, he didn’t know the magazines, but this show, he knew it through and through. So I know he’d be super proud of me.” Leomie said her father’s favourite words of encouragement were: “Go on, darling, smash it.”

Speaking about his illness, she said: “I really want people to speak to their parents and really remind them to go and get checked up if they have any sort of signs of anything, a cough, a flu, or whatever, just to go to the doctors and get it checked. Because my dad was the type who didn’t really want to go to the doctors and stuff like that, and I feel like that was one of the reasons why his cancer was discovered so late.”

Leomie said she hopes to speak about his death with her fellow campmates, despite finding the subject painful. She added: “It’s something that even though it’s very emotional for me to talk about, I hope that I do get the opportunity to speak about it because I know it will resonate with a lot of people.”

The model also revealed she had spent nearly two years caring for family members while her father underwent cancer treatment. She said: “It was meant to be like two weeks of my life, and it ended up being nearly two years, and it was just something that I wasn’t really expecting.”

Leomie added: “I feel like a lot of people don’t realize and they just look at someone in the public eye and smiling in front of the cameras that they can really be going through a lot in their personal lives.”

She hopes the jungle will allow viewers to see a different side of her, adding: “I’m really excited to be able to not have a mask in the jungle and be able to speak freely and not think too much about upholding this image of myself that everybody is used to seeing.”

She is also determined to enjoy herself, admitting she has packed plenty of bikinis for the famous jungle waterfall. She joked: “Oh, 100%. I’ve packed many a bikini for that waterfall, and we’re going to be best friends.”

TO some, Tiffany Pollard is the ultimate reality queen, gracing Celebrity Big Brother and many other shows with her own explosive brand of drama.

But it is less well-known that she is now a recording artist as well, thanks to a cheeky sample on Zara Larsson‘s track Hot & Sexy.

Tiff — who dubs herself the Head Bitch In Charge, or HBIC — speaks the refrain “beautiful, fly, hot and sexy” on the pop princess’s empowering song.

Speaking for the first time about the collab, Tiffany said: “Zara is multi- talented, and for her to come for the HBIC to honour a track blows my mind.

“I was in that studio. It was like I was Beethoven because I wanted to get it right and iconic just for her.

“I was dedicated to the piece and a lot of people dance to it, so we’re happy.”

Read more on Tiffany Pollard

ON AND OFF

CBB star Trisha Goddard’s ‘shady’ comment that led to BIG on-air clash revealed

CBB SHOWDOWN

Late & Live chaos as CBB legend Tiffany Pollard brands Daley Thompson ‘rotten’

The track from Zara’s multi-platinum album Midnight Sun was even played during last week’s Victoria’s Secret catwalk.

But we’re not going to see Tiff on tour with Zara any time soon.

She revealed: “I don’t want to crush dreams or anything like that, but our girl is going to handle it. I’m not gonna be on tour — I got bad knees, honey.”

Tiffany’s back on the reality beat as she begins a stint on ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother — a decade on from her career-defining appearance.

Fans will remember her spats with Gemma Collins and the “David’s dead” misunderstanding when housemate Angie Bowie was told her ex-husband had died, but Tiffany thought it was David Gest who had passed away — until others found him asleep in bed.

Today Tiffany heads into a divided house, with the self-proclaimed “hierarchy” of Rochelle Rackham and Philip Regan facing accusations of bullying — but she is ready to take them on.

The outspoken American said: “It’s Halloween week and I’m gonna put the whore in horror.

“I’m gonna listen to people, I’m gonna have an authentic experience but I don’t want to be on my best behaviour.

“It’s called the hierarchy? The king and the queen of the house? Oh, please. It’s time for me to knock down the bricks.

“I only go around this life one good time and I want to make sure I’m living it authentically.

“I don’t want to quiet a voice of something that should have been said.

“I have a lot of people who are betting on me to be real and to just say what it is.”

Tiffany will also make time while staying in the UK for some of her favourite British pastimes — including watching Towie, Hollyoaks and tucking into our good old fish and chips.

Just hours before heading on to Big Brother, she said: “Bring all that vinegar. People are so nice here.”

We’ll see if she feels the same following her stint in the spy-on-the-wall house.

• Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.