Just four years ago, I'm A Celebrity's Owen Warner felt "lost", was heavily overdrawn with bank, and regularly ate 40p "chicken-in-a-tin" meals.
The actor, 23, described himself as looked "ruined" from going out and drinking too much during his time at university, which led to interventions from his mum.
But now the much-loved Hollyoaks star is on the cusp of being crowned the ITV show's King of the Jungle which could see him make millions in endorsements and new TV opportunities.
Owen has come a long way from the days of being "deep" into his overdraft in his final week of university in Nottingham, where he studied film production, and credits the Channel 4 soap for getting him back on the right track.
Looking back on his life before Hollyoaks, Owen said: "I did two years at acting college doing solid acting, and I wanted to do something else, getting a degree in something else, so I was doing film production, like camera [work]. It's so much harder than it looks. They started dissecting a camera. I failed science, so I was like, 'This aint for me at all.' So I was failing uni. I wasn't really going.
"I didn't want to be there, I was thinking I didn't like my course and I felt a bit lost.
"I was going out so much, getting to different levels of f***ed up, just constantly. That's all uni was to me.
"I'd go home and my parents would look at me and be like, 'What has happened to you?' I was grey, dark circles, I looked ruined. My mum would have sit down chats with me about going out too much and I'd be like, 'Nah, I'm fine.' But then I didn't want to leave uni, because I had all these mates there.
"But when this [Hollyoaks] came through I was like, 'S**t, this is literally what could pull me out of this.'
"I had to let my uni know [about joining Hollyoaks]. I had like one week left. I think I had about £200 in my account and £1,500 overdraft and I've literally just said to my mates, 'We're having a mad week.' Every single day I was just buying drinks for everyone. I dipped deep into my overdraft.
"I was like, 'F**k.' I moved back home and then had to get a place in Liverpool, and I moved my whole life to Liverpool."
Owen found out he had landed the role of Hollyoaks lothario Romeo Nightingale in 2018 when he was tucking into a 40p chicken and rice meal - not too dissimilar from what he's been eating in the jungle - at university.
And the star was lucky to make it that far in life, after he spent the first month of his uni days cooking chicken straight from the freezer, because he didn't know it had to be defrosted first.
He said: "There were a few call backs [for Hollyoaks]. In the first one [audition] I thought I'd f*ed it. I used to speak so fast, and I went in [said the lines quickly] and left. And I was like, 'S**t, that's over. I've ruined that chance.' But then I got a call back and then I was waiting for a call.
"I was at uni. It sounds dirty now but I used to have these tins, you put them in the microwave, like chicken. It cost like 40p. I'd have Aldi boil in a bag rice, boil some of that in a bag and whack a tin in the microwave. Maybe I put in a bowl first?
"Although when I first joined uni no one told me I had to defrost chicken first before I cooked it. I was chatting to my mates about making food and I was like, 'Yeah, I get the chicken out of the freezer and whack it in the pan,' and they were like, 'Wait, wait, wait. From frozen? What do you mean?' From the first month of uni I was eating chicken from frozen.
"So I was in my halls, I had my chicken in a tin, I sat down and I saw my agent calling me, I answered it and she said, 'I just want to say I'm really, really sorry … but you're going to have to free up some time because you've got it.' I was like, 'F**k off,' and she was like, 'You're on speaker in the office.'
"In the space of a month I got signed by my agency and then I got Hollyoaks."
Millions of ITV viewers who are not familiar with Hollyoaks have warmed to the charming and handsome star.
And when he leaves his cooking skills will be improved thanks to the likes of Charlene White and Sue Cleaver giving him lessons. He also appeared to be growing up in there and maturing.
But during his younger years, Owen admits he was a "cocky" and regularly didn't pay attention in lessons, but he developed a love of acting, which his mum used to bribe him to behave.
He said: "In school I was a cocky, little s**t, always messing about in classes. But when we did the drama lessons I loved them. I focus, I get my head down, I create these scenes, I loved them.
"My parents put me in this acting class outside of school, and my mum would use that to make me behave in school. So if teachers would call home she'd be like, 'Right, you aren't going acting this week.' I'd have to focus and concentrate so I'd be allowed to go to these classes."
This week, Owen became the bookies' favourite to win this year's I'm A Celebrity, after he moved ahead of former England women's footballer Jill Scott, 35 and ex-England rugby union player Mike Tindall, 44, and disgraced former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, 44, in the betting.
Shortly after Mr Hancock arrived in camp - as a latecomer alongside comedian Seann Walsh, 36, earlier this month - Owen insisted he didn't "fully understand the mistakes" the MP had made.
Speaking in the Bush Telegraph, he said: "I don't fully understand the mistakes he [Matt] has made to be honest. I don't follow politics. But yeah, I'm up for just judging him in here."
But in July last year, the actor appeared on a podcast, during which he spoke about Mr Hancock's scandalous affair with his then-aide Gina Coladangelo.
The pair's infidelity was outed in 2021 when they were pictured kissing at work on CCTV and breaking Mr Hancock's own Covid-19 lockdown guidance, resulting in him resigning as Health Secretary.
Speaking about the controversial incident closer to the time, Owen said: "Mad that, bro, grabbing her a***e and that. It was crazy.
"Didn't rate him before, seen him do that and was like, 'Oh, go on, lad'."
Hours after Matt and Gina's affair was exposed, she was pictured loading items into a car, and her husband, Oliver Tress, 55, was spotted helping her pack bags into the vehicle.
But Owen has admitted if he had been cheated on by Gina - who is in Australia ready to meet Mr Hancock when he is voted off the show - he wouldn't have shown such compassion.
He said: "I saw the peakest video of the one that was lipsing Matt Hancock [Gina]. She was loading up a car and her ex was putting stuff in there for her.
"I was thinking, 'Bro, I wouldn't be doing that.' I would be, 'You do that, you load up the car, see you in a bit.' I wouldn't be saying goodbye, I would just be pushing her out. She'd be gone if it was me."
Owen admits he hadn't watched any reality TV shows, or soaps, before he landed a part on Hollyoaks in 2018, and he was surprised how "down to earth" the cast were.
He said: "Coming from uni, I thought on TV everyone would be up themselves and who would I chat to, who would I chill with? But everyone on Hollyoaks is so sound. The people are the most genuine, lovely people. If someone comes in with an agenda, a bit of a diva, they stand out. Everyone is so down-to-earth, which I didn't expect at all.
"Sometimes they will bring on reality TV stars to do a little two or three eps to bring viewers to the show.
"Before I got Hollyoaks, I'd never watched a soap or reality TV, anything like that. I love Richard [Blackwood], but I hadn't heard of him before I did the show."
But one thing the star would like to change about Hollyoaks is his character's name, because he is often subjected to shouts of "Romeo, Romeo" in the streets of Liverpool.
Speaking on the Front Left podcast in July 2021 (PLS REF SOMEWHERE), he added: "I wish I could change the name so much, because of the amount of Scouse people who shout out, 'Romeo, Romeo,' when I'm walking down the street.
"If I had Martin or something it wouldn't be too bad, but getting Romeo yelled at you it's like ... argh."
And when he does eventually leave camp, aside from big money offers and new TV roles, perhaps the only other thing Owen will want is a girlfriend.
Speaking to the Mirror in the days before the show began, he said: "I have no ties. I decided to have a break for a bit. A bit of time on my own to sort my head out. But if the right person comes along I would be open to it. It would take someone good but never say never."
