Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

I'm A Celeb South Africa stars then and now - Glow ups, fake teeth and cosmetic work

It's been over 20 years since I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! first popped up on our TV screens back in August 2002, with star-studded series firmly cementing itself as one of the nation's favourite reality TV shows.

The ITV series has been going so long it now even warrant its own all-stars spinoff show, with I'm A Celebrity...South Africa kicking off on Monday night - leaving viewers all saying the same thing about the pre-recorded series.

Stars like Carol Vorderman, Phil Tufnell, Helen Flanagan and Shaun Ryder all returned to the jungle last year to record the special series as the show celebrated its 20th anniversary, with hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly on hand once again to present the one-off series.

As we prepare to see what I'm A Celebrity...South Africa has in store for us over the next few days, we take a look at what the two-time celebrity campers looked like when they first enjoyed a stint on the ITV show.

Helen Flanagan

The former Corrie star's life AND appearance has changed drastically since her first stint on the show (ITV/REX)

Former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan, 32, has seen her life and appearance change a lot since she first camped under the stars in the name of entertainment.

When the mum-of-three first appeared on the show back in 2012 - the series won by EastEnders actress Charlie Brooks - Helen was loved-up with footballer Scott Sinclair and yet to welcome any children into the world.

"It’s going to be different. I was only 22 back then and I am 32 now. I have grown up a lot and I’ve had three children and I’ve gone through three labours! I won’t not finish the trials because my mindset will be very different this time around," Helen admitted before heading into camp for the second time.

The mum-of-three recently unveiled the results of a boob job after breastfeeding three kids (hjgflanagan/Instagram)

Since Helen's first stint in the jungle over a decade ago, the actress has split with her fiancé - recently revealing the sweet reason she still wore her huge engagement ring during filming for I'm A Celebrity...South Africa last year.

The former soap star has also tweaked her image over the years, with the mum-of-three telling her fans earlier this year having a boob job has helped her with her confidence after seeing her breasts change thanks to breastfeeding three children.

"I went with @pallmallcosmetics and couldn’t be happier with my results I love them I keep showing all my girlfriends," Helen told her Instagram followers as she showed off the results of her surgery.

"I am all for body confidence and I am all for empowering other women and supporting other women in their decisions that they decide to make."

Phil Tufnell

The second-ever King of the Jungle recently had a hair transplant (ITV/REX)

Ex-England cricketer Phil Tufnell, 56, was crowned King of the Jungle when he starred in the second series of the ITV reality TV show.

At the start of this year, a few months on from filming I'm A Celebrity...South Africa, Phil revealed he recently had a hair transplant to prepare for a busy summer in Australia for the Ashes.

"It has been thinning and receding for quite a while," he said of his hair in January. "And I have thin hair anyway. I want to get something done about it before it’s too late."

Going into detail about his 'lunch-hour' transplant, Phil added: "They just take hair from the back and then patch it in,” he said. "There is no shaving. They take the follicles one by one. There is hardly any disturbance and it looks natural."

Phil spotted his hair had been thinning before having the transplant (BBC)

The former Question of Sport captain then explained his motives for getting the procedure, saying: "I’ve got a big summer coming up with the Ashes and I’ll be on telly, in front of the camera. So, I suppose there was a lack of confidence.

"You just want a nicer head of hair and DHI do it brilliantly and without a lot of fuss. It’s so straightforward, so easy, and I could not recommend it any more."

While Phil may not have had his hair transplant in time for filming I'm A Celebrity...South Africa, the retired sports star still had bags of confidence.

"I never had a game plan the first time around and I won’t this time either," the second-ever King of the Jungle said ahead of his second stint on the ITV show. "You are older and wiser and I am sure there will be some funky old Trials to get my head around."

Carol Vorderman

The maths genius has barely aged since her first camping experience (ITV/REX)

Carol Vorderman, 62, has only got more fabulous since she finished in eighth place in the sixteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2016.

The former Countdown star regularly sets pulses races on social media thanks to her love of sharing saucy snaps on Instagram, in addition to taking on the UK government on Twitter.

As Carol appears to age backwards, many have suspected the Celebrity Gogglebox star of going under the knife to retain her stunning looks.

But in 2019, after wowing Britain's Got Talent viewers with the help of a sexy red ensemble, Carol denied claims she's a lover of plastic surgery - telling fans: "I’m just the same old Vorders."

The star was even forced to deny having bum implant, adding: "I promise I haven’t had bottom implants. It’s the same old bottom. In my family, loads of us have it: the Vorderman A**e. My daughter Katie has it. My nephew has it. We’re all sticky-out-bottom people."

Speaking ahead of filming I'm A Celebrity...South Africa, Carol said: "I’ve not been on a safari for 40 years and I can’t wait now to do the Trials. I will try everything and I will try my absolute best."

Shaun Ryder

The Happy Mondays star has been through as lot since his debut I'm A Celeb appearance (ITV/REX)

Shaun Ryder, 60, opened up about his appearance and health issues in 2019 - including chatting about his unexplained alopecia, his hip surgery and even his experience of having Botox.

The Happy Mondays legend, who finished second behind Stacey Solomon when he appeared on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2010, spoke with Chris Moyles on Radio X and admitted he feels like Uncle Fester since his hair fell out.

"I've got no eyelashes, no eyebrows, no pubic hair, no leg hair, no armpit hair, everything gone," Shaun told 2022 camper Chris.

Shaun pictured in 2018 at the Q Awards (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
The star has been open about his hair loss (rex)

"At first they thought it's going to be the testosterone or it's going to be the thyroid. Well it isn't, because in the thyroid it comes out in clumps, right. Now mine's an alopecia thing and it's just gone. And another thing is, it's not stress related."

He went on to joke: "If this had happened to Peter Andre, the guy wouldn't come out of the house! He wouldn't go on television or do live radio would he?"

Shaun also admitted to the former Radio 1 DJ in July 2019 that he enjoys a vegan diet these days and enjoyed a round of Botox while having his teeth treated by a dentist.

Recalling his camp highlight before filming I'm A Celebrity...South Africa last year, Shaun said he enjoying jumping out of the plane in Australia the most.

"I was really scared but I got such a great buzz from doing it," the Celebrity Gogglebox star fondly remembered.

Janice Dickinson

The world's first supermodel is no stranger to plastic surgery (ITV/REX)

While her campmate Carol may deny having tweakments and surgery, former supermodel Janice Dickinson is far more open about her love of going under the knife.

The star, who first appeared on the ITV show in 2007, actually declared herself bankrupt in 2013 - just a few years on from gaining second place behind Christopher Biggins on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

In 2015, Janice appeared on Botched to fix her boob job that was done 30 years before, confessing at the time: "I am no stranger to plastic surgery".

The star during her first time camping on the ITV show (rex features)

The world's first supermodel vowed to stop going under the knife later the same year for the sake of her son.

Speaking about her time in the Australian jungle, Janice revealed she enjoyed "the camaraderie" the most - adding: "It was great getting to meet everyone on the show, we had lots of different personalities in the camp.

"What I learnt about myself: I learnt that I could be ok with myself, if things were happening on one side of the camp I would just pick myself up and move.

"I found out it was ok to be by yourself, although you never know what creepy crawlies are going to crawl out from a log. You never know what’s going to jump up and bite your ass."

Paul Burrell

The former butler has seen his life change dramatically his time Down Under (ITV/REX)

Princess Diana's former butler had already appeared on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! twice before filming the special in South Africa last year.

Paul Burrell, 64, first braved the jungle during the fourth series of the UK version in November 2004, before participating in the fourth season of the Australian version in 2018.

Since his first stint as a celebrity camper, Paul has sadly been diagnosed with prostate cancer - sharing the news publicly on Lorraine Kelly's ITV show at the start of this year.

"I'm sat in the jungle with cancer, the Queen has died and I'm thinking, 'Oh wow, how do I get through this?'" Paul recalled when giving fans an update earlier this year.

Paul pictured just a few months after leaving Australia in 2004 (Daily Mirror)

"I'm on an emotional educational rollercoaster - ups and downs - and not knowing where I'm going to be the next minute," he said. "Having the biopsy itself and finding the cancer..."

Becoming emotional, Paul began to tear up as he continued: "Wrapping Christmas presents up this year and thinking, 'Am I going to do this next year? Am I going to be here? I need to tell my boys."

Speaking ahead of filming his third jungle experience, Paul said: "It is going to be different because I am a different person now. I was a married guy with two kids and now 19 years on, I am a married man again but this time around, I have a husband.

"I have many more things to talk about in South Africa. I want to be there for all the dads who are struggling with their sexuality."

Jordan Banjo

The Diversity star has transformed his body since first appearing on the ITV show (ITV/REX)

Diversity dance Jordan Banjo, 30, was the fourth celebrity to leave the jungle when he popped up on the 2016 series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

Since then the radio DJ has transformed his body - sharing drastic snaps with his fans on social media last year.

The Britain's Got Talent star captioned the before-and-after snaps: "Still shocks me when I see this.

"Way less dancing, no diet structure and a lack of motivation had me how I was in the first pic! But getting the mindset right and having a focus which was getting ready for tour has me where I am now."

Jordan put on three stone during lockdown (DAILY MIRROR)

He added: "Random I know but thought I’d share because looking at those pics next to each other just gave me a shock."

Reflecting on his time Down Under before filming the new series in South Africa, Jordan said: "Doing IAC made me grateful for the time I get to spend with my family and friends.

"I am around them every single day and it made me realise how super lucky I am to be able to do so."

The dancer added: "Anybody who goes on something and says they don’t want to win is a liar. To win would be nice but to go back is a win too. You grow up watching I’m A Celebrity and there are so many people I would like to be with in the camp."

Amir Khan

The boxer's first experience on rations impacted his career in 2017 (ITV/REX)

Former boxing champion Amir Khan has also seen his body transformed since he camped alongside Queen of the Jungle Georgia Toffolo during the 2017 series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

The retired sports star lost a lot of weight thanks to survuing of rations, telling Ring IQ TV in Dubai in 2017: "I walked out of the jungle at 145lbs so I want to get back up to like 160lbs before I get back down to 147 lbs before I come back down to fight.

"147lbs is the division I’m in. Walking out of the jungle kind of surprised me at 145lbs, walking around at the weight."

Amir at the Pride of Britain Awards just months before flying Down Under for his first jungle stint (Dave Hogan)

"So I want to put more weight on because my training is so intense you lose weight anyway."

Amir won't have to worry about any weight-loss impacting his career this time around, thanks to retiring from professional boxing last year.

"The South African jungle is different to Australia. You’ve got lions, leopards and goodness knows what," the Bolton-born star said before filming the new series of the ITV show.

"Imagine standing in front of them?! It’s going to require more strength to block out your emotions when you are feeling scared. It will be harder, but I think I will cope well because I am going in knowing Australia helped me overcome a lot of things."

Fatima Whitbread

Many former sports stars make up the I'm A Celebrity lineup this year (ITV/REX)

Former Olympic athlete Fatima Whitbread is another sports star who braved sleeping under the stars in the jungle for the ITV show.

The 62-year-old took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2011, with the retired javelin thrower fondly remembering constantly laughing in camp with fellow constant Crissy Rock.

"I also had a schoolgirl moment when Peter Andre jumped out of a box!" Fatima admitted ahead of filming I'm a Celebrity...South Africa.

Fatima at the 2012 NTA Awards (PA Archive/Press Association Ima)

The former sports star looks pretty similar to when she first graced our screens over a decade ago, but Fatima says she changed internally following her first experience with the ITV reality TV series

"I learnt a lot during my time in the camp. As a mum, you forget about yourself and the camp made me realise I liked myself," Fatima admitted last year.

Looking ahead to the all-stars series, she added: "I’ve never had the opportunity of an eating and drinking Trial. If that Trial came up and I was put forward, I would do it. I am not sure I would like the gagging though!"

* Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.