Celebs Go Dating star Tom Read Wilson has admitted he is 'terrified' and has 'never been so frightened' as he gets ready to enter the I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! jungle. The 39-year-old TV personality is set to join the ITV show as a late entry on Thursday, alongside Vogue Williams.
Jungle Fears and a Champagne-Free Zone
Tom confessed that one of the most daunting aspects of the jungle experience is the show's strict ban on alcohol. A self-professed enthusiast for the finer things, he revealed his particular fondness for champagne, which he usually reserves for weekends.
"I do have a penchant for champagne, and as it is quite a naughty tipple, I confine it to the weekend," he said. "So it is just going to feel like a very, very long week. I will never usually have a coupe of anything until Friday."
Beyond the lack of bubbly, he is also preparing for a basic, rice-based diet. However, he believes his years of intermittent fasting have inadvertently trained him for the limited food supplies, noting he doesn't typically get hungry until 2pm.
Finding Common Ground and Confronting Anxiety
Despite his fears, Tom is excited to meet his fellow campmates, especially rapper Aitch. He drew surprising parallels between the Manchester artist and literary great William Shakespeare, praising Aitch's creative way with words.
"I know that he is very bendy with words, which I adore," Tom explained. "I love new coinings. It is the reason I am mad about Shakespeare... And he has got that in spades. I also really think of rap as modern poetry. I wish I could do it."
He believes that a shared appreciation for the arts can bridge any gap between people, no matter how different their backgrounds. "If your feelings about the arts are the same, it kind of pleads you together," he said.
To manage his pre-jungle anxiety, Tom recalled a recent conversation with a philosophical taxi driver named Abdi. The driver used a powerful analogy about climbing a large tree to illustrate how starting a daunting task is the hardest part, but you find your way as you go.
"I could not believe it. I was so, so delighted because it just suddenly put everything in perspective," Tom said. "So I think I have got the same fear, but he really contextualised it for me."
Preparation and What He'll Miss Most
In preparation for his jungle stint, Tom has sought advice from friends who are show veterans, including Roman Kemp. The most crucial tip was to wean himself off coffee days in advance to avoid painful caffeine withdrawal headaches in camp.
He also admitted to being star-struck at the prospect of meeting Ruby Wax, a writer for the iconic show Absolutely Ab Fab, and confessed that being a 'big fan' of someone has historically made him nervous.
Ultimately, the thing he will miss the most is the 'small people' in his life. "I have got five godkids and three nephews, all of whom I speak to multiple times a week and see multiple times a month," he shared. "So that is going to be a real wrench."
As a latecomer, Tom hopes to bring a fresh burst of energy to the camp, acting as a 'warm zephyr' for campmates who will already be tired and food-deprived. Despite the fear, he is ready to face the challenge head-on when he enters the jungle on Thursday.
