Queen of the Jungle: Stacey Solomon is named winner of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
Singer Stacey Solomon has been crowned queen of the jungle after beating Shaun Ryder in this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
The single mother, known as the 'diva from Dagenham' after coming third in X Factor last year, had been the bookies favourite to win since the 10th series began on November 14.
The 21-year-old broke down in tears and hugged former Happy Mondays singer Shaun, 48, when she was named winner of this year's show.
Shock: Stacey admitted she was 'lost for words' after beating runner-up Shaun Ryder
After being crowned by Caroline Flack, the down-to-earth apologised for her 'bad breath'.
Clearly stunned by winning the show, she said: 'What the hell just happened? Thank you so much, I dunno what to say.'
She then ran over the bridge to be reunited with her boyfriend Aaron Barnham, son Zach and mum Fiona.
Reunited: A tearful Stacey hugs her boyfriend Aaron Barnham
Reflecting on her time in the jungle before finding out she had won, Stacey enthused: 'I've had the best time ever and Lord only knows I'm annoying so thank you for having me.'
Shaun was also a popular contestant and proved his 'hardman' credentials by famously keeping his cool when he was bitten by a snake during an overnight trial.
Reflecting on the bite, he said: 'I wanted to pull it out and smash it to bits... but it's an animal.'
Down to earth: Stacey apologised for her 'bad breath' after she was crowned by Caroline Flack - who presents ITV2 spin-off I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here Now
Addressing his stormy relationship with Gillian McKeith, he admitted: 'Gillian's me, me, me, me... people like that really bug me.
'It was a series of things that built up.'
He acknowledged it was a 'turning point' when Gillian was voted off, describing it as 'fantastic'.
He admitted 'never in a million years' would he believed he would have lasted until the final.
Be patient: Stacey had to be covered in a 'sham-poo' of meal worms and crickets for 30 seconds during the last Bushtucker Trial
Keeping his cool: Shaun tries to relax as he's showered with 'cockroach conditioner'
The winner was unveiled after the two finalists went head-to-head in the last live Bucktucker Trial, entitled the 'Bush Spa'.
They were warned they would have to put up with being covered in various jungle critters and insects for 30 seconds at a time, with former campmates Dom Joly and Lembit Opik being punished by being covered in slime if either of them failed.
The pair started off in hairdressers chairs, with Stacey receiving a 'sham-poo' by having her head covered in meal worms and crickets while Shaun kept his cool during his 'cockroach conditioner'.
Eeeeeek: Stacey had a biting ant manicure and a yabbie pedicure
Next up, a screaming Stacey just about managed to last 30 seconds during her pedicure of yabbies and biting ants.
Shaun also successfully endured the rat sauna, but admitted he was concerned the vermin would be attracted to a bleeding wound on his leg.
All of this year's campmates were back in the studio to see Stacey being crowned queen of the jungle, including Alison Hammond, Aggro Santos, Kayla Collins, Linford Christie, Sheryl Gascoigne, Britt Ekland and Jenny Eclair - who finished in was third place on Friday's show.
Relieved: Dom Joly and Lembit Opik faced the prospect of being covered in gunge if Stacey and Shaun failed the Bushtucker Trial
The gang's all here: Their former campmates Britt Ekland, Alison Hammond, Dom, Lembit, Gillian McKeith, Jenny Eclair, Aggro Santos, Kayla Collins, Linford Christie and Sheryl Gascoigne were all back
Time to go: Jenny Eclair was voted off I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! after coming in third place
Jenny Eclair was voted off I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! last night as Stacey Solomon and Shaun Ryder were left to fight it out for the title of King, or Queen, of the jungle.
After Ant and Dec told her she had come in third place, Jenny told Stacey and Shaun: 'I'm so grateful, I can't tell you. I'm so pleased with that.'
Walking happily across the bridge, Jenny greeted Ant and Dec for her post-eviction interview before apologising for looking 'rough'.
Reunited: Jenny looks emotional as she hugs partner Geoff after leaving camp Asked how she felt to be out of the camp, Jenny replied: 'I'm hugely relieved, I didn't have another day in me.
'I think there's only so many days a woman can wear a pair of pants and I think I was pushing it.'
And Jenny said she couldn't believe she came in the top three, adding: 'Unbelievably I made the final three. I'm absolutely delighted, I'm shocked to pieces.
'I put money on me coming tenth. I was such a last minute replacement or reserve bench that I never had any time to prepare or go to the gym, as you can probably see. The hardest thing was walking to the trials - I was really puffed out!'
Post-eviction interview: Jenny told Ant and Dec she couldn't have survived another day in camp
When Ant and Dec asked her how she remained so level-headed in the Bushtucker Trials, some of which were horrendous, Jenny replied: 'I think in your head you go to places that are much darker and worse than you two boys can dream of
'I have quite a bleak side. Compared to not having a pension, living in a skip and eating catfood, what you threw at me was alright!'
As well as entertaining people with her wicked sense of humour, Jenny became known for her temper and inability to stop snapping at people on occasion. y said: 'That was my b***h day. I was just vile.
Waiting to hear their fate: Shaun Ryder, Stacey Solomon and Jenny wait to find out which of them has come in third
It's me! Jenny finds out she has come in third, telling Stacey and Shaun she's 'delighted'
'The whole claustrophobia of it. I did bite my lip a bit because I can get very ugly indeed.
'I'm quite proud of myself because when I go, I damage myself more than anyone else because I'm just a slightly overweight woman thrashing around.'
'My patience wore thin with everybody at certain times. The young people were annoyingly incredible. Everyone had their moments and there were some tedious times, and the weather has been awful.'
Saying goodbye: An emotional Jenny hugs Stacey, who she has tipped to win the show
And asked who she wants to win between Shaun and Stacey, Jenny replied: 'I've got to go for the girl because girls rule.'
Walking across the bridge to freedom, Jenny was met by partner Geoff, who told her he was 'really proud' of her achievements in the jungle.
Tonight's show began when the celebrities were left shell-shocked when they found out there would be a double eviction, meaning both Kayla Collins and Dom Joly had been voted off.
Down to two: The last two standing, Shaun and Stacey, wave and clap as Jenny leaves camp
After Kayla left, Jenny and Dom realised it would probably be one of them going, before Dom was eventually voted off.
But when Dom left, a stunned Jenny said: 'I’m pleased (I’m still here) but I’m slightly horrified…I’m a bit shell shocked I might go and have a cup of tea on the sofa as a homage to Lord Dom.
'I'm sure the rating between Dom and myself was really, really narrow. I’m not sure I can cope with it to be honest with you, I’m kind of struggling a bit.'
Time for a wash: Stacey Solomon takes to the jungle pool in a pink bikini after taking part in another gruesome Bushtucker trial
Stacey Solomon was certainly in need of a good wash following her latest bug-infested Bushtucker trail.
And the 21-year-old mother of one certainly didn't waste any time stripping down to her pink bikini for a rinse down after her gruelling ordeal.
The former X Factor contestant appropriately took part in the challenge 'Star In Their Pies', a play on the singing talent show Star In Their Eyes.
But the usually plucky camper performed only managed to retrieve three out of the six stars available.
For the challenge, Stacey was sat in a giant pie base and was transported along a conveyor belt factory line, while disgusting things were slopped in
The singer had to search for stars in among the ingredients which included offal, meal worms, cockroaches and vegetables.
'Get me in the pie, I’m really excited, let’s do it,' she cried.
Yuck: Earlier she took part in the Stars In Their Pies challenge which saw her have to retrieve stars from a giant pie as all manner of bugs were poured in
As she sat in the pie the first challenge was to empty three bags containing meat and offal into the pie.
But as she opened one bag the star fell to the outside of the crust which mean she could only now get five of the six available stars.
She was transported on the moving tracks around the factory to a vegetable tip containing cockroaches and crickets in among the veggies but she managed to get the star.
Brace yourself: Stacey gets a blast of jungle nasties as she takes part in the trial, winning three out of a possible six stars
Foul: Goo comes flowing in out of pipe as Stacey desperately searches around
At the third station she had to unscrew the end of a tube and meal worms and cockroaches poured down but she managed to pluck out the star giving her two out of six.
'I’ll never eat pie again', she squealed. She then had pepper blown through a wind tunnel at her.
Ant said: 'You’ve now got to have a bit of gravy with your pie, we are northern and we love a bit of gravy.'
As the glutinous gravy poured down the chute, Stacey managed to grab another star.
Close call: Stacey tried to bite hold of a star but failed, despite later commenting she had a 'big enough mouth'
No pie is worth its salt without a crust and the topping was lowered on to the base and Stacey was told she could not use her hands but had to get the final two stars using only her mouth.
An egg glaze showered down on her and Stacey complained it stank. She ran out of time getting the first star and then used her hand to put the second star in her mouth which therefore didn’t count.
'I just couldn’t get the stars in my mouth, I know you were thinking she’s got a big enough mouth why couldn’t she get it in,' she said to Ant and Dec.
Closed in: At the end of a trial a huge pie lid was lowered on top, meaning Stacey was not allowed to use her hands and had to try to retrieve the stars with her mouth
'I’m gutted to only get three stars, I might as well just go and kill myself!' She told her fellow celebrities on returning to camp: 'It wasn’t hard, I was just poo.
'I thought it would be a piece of cake but it just went past my face… it was so disgusting. I thought ‘thank your daddy for the big teeth and big mouth’ but they didn’t come in handy.'
Revealing: Kayla Collins wore an incredibly revealing monokini to take part in the Celebrity Chest task with Jenny Eclair on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
When she was told she would have to wear swimwear to take part in the Celebrity Chest task on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, exhibitionist Kayla Collins couldn't believe her luck.
The 23-year-old Playboy Playmate quickly searched through her array of swimsuits to find the skimpiest one, before eventually deciding on an incredibly revealing black monokini.
However, 50-year-old comedian Jenny Eclair, who took part in the Celebrity Chest with Kayla, was less than impressed when she found out she would also have to don a swimsuit.
Get snappy: Jenny and Kayla had to unscrew teeth from a crocodile's mouth inside a pungent swamp
However, Jenny said: 'Kayla was fantastic, every time she got out of the swamp she did it with a beautiful ballet toe, pointed ballet toe. I was envious of that!'
Despite winning the chest, Jenny said she didn't hold out much hope that the rest of camp would be able to answer the question to fully unlock the chest.
She said: 'We won’t win it, we never do. We always get the chest wrong. Completely pointless exercise, might as well have just sat in that camp all afternoon.'
But when Jenny and Kayla returned to the camp, the rest of the celebrities were keen for them to have a wash before they tried to answer the chest.
And the pair were furious when their fellow contestants tried to start answering which of the quotes was said by which of their former campmates - to win the chest they had to correctly answer six out of the seven questions.
Going for it: The girls eventually managed to win the chest after working well together as a team
Jenny was not happy, adding: 'We did all the hard work for that, we should read them out.'
She moaned: 'Well that’s lovely for me isn’t it? Wearing a swimming costume next to Kayla, I’ve got a massive rash rampaging all up my neck and shoulders, I’ve got cellulite riddling all up the backs of my legs and I’m going to be standing next to Kayla in a swimming costume.'
She then added: 'Kayla is much much fitter than I am, in every sense of the word.' As they got close to the chest area, Jenny and Kayla smelt a 'horrible stench' from the pool, and quickly realised they would have to get in to it.
The aim of the game was to pump open the jaws of the plastic crocodile, unscrew its teeth and place them on to a giant key.
They would have to get a certain amount of teeth to release the smaller key that would unlock the chest.
But Jenny refused to wear just a swimming costume, insisting on wearing her shorts, adding: 'I’m not taking my shorts off when I’m standing next to a 22 or 23-year-old glamour model, I’m not mad!'
And while the pair quickly got the hang of the task, Jenny said the hardest part was getting out of the swamp elegantly.
Delighted: Kayla couldn't conceal her delight as Aggro helped her and Jenny take the chest into camp
She then added: 'For me that was a lot more strenuous and a lot more difficult than doing any of the Bush Tucker Trials I’ve done…It nearly killed me…I think when we came back me and Kayla should read them out.'
Kayla then read out the quotes and the celebrities succeeded in guessing the answers to all seven quotes and won spices, salt and pepper and seasoning.
The quotes included: 'People forget that I'm that old, they think I'm Peter Pan', which was said by Shaun.'
The celebrities later started talking about Kayla, with Dom saying they had started to see the real side of Playboy star Kayla.
He said: 'The real Kayla is coming out and I don't think it's a very pretty sight. I think she's probably very high maintenance in real life.'
It was 'Dunnygate', where Kayla had to clean up faeces left in the jungle toilet, that ensured the celebrities began to get to know the real star.
Run! Dom Joly completed the Bushtucker Trial of Savage Garden Centre
Struggling: Dom had to root around in a variety of horrible containers to find the stars
Dom added: 'Dunnygate was the real Kayla there, that's pretty girl syndrome. She had an anger in her eyes - she was angry.
'She’s not stupid, well she is quite stupid but she is street smart. She is tough.'
He added in the Bush Telegraph: 'The real Kayla is coming out and it’s not a pretty sight. I reckon she’s really high maintenance in real life. Ball buster is the word I’d use.'
Yesterday saw the exit of camp moaner Gillian McKeith, and the rest of the celebrities couldn't have been happier.
Former Happy Mondays star Shaun Ryder was absolutely delighted when the nutritionist was voted out, declaring: 'Fantastic, what a good choice public - I love the public. The public are very intelligent and wise.
'I'm a so relieved she's gone - all's fair in love and hate.'
Afterwards in the Bush Telegraph, Shaun said: 'It was wonderful to say goodbye to Gillian - absolutely great!
'I’m glad it was Gillian that went, personally for me, pure selfishness, couldn’t have been better.'
It's a smelly job: Dom had to root around in a huge pile of dung to find a star
Shaun's happy mood was then noticed by the rest of the campmates, especially Stacey who said: 'Shaun is as happy as Larry.
'I don’t know if its just because Gillian’s gone but he’s had a really good morning and I think he’s going to have a really good day today. Singing, dancing, smiling, that’s the Shaun we know and love.'
And later Jenny commented that Gillian had predicted her departure from the show, adding: 'She packed her bags, she had her coat ready, she’s a witch…she knew when she was going.'
Later in the show, the celebrities were seen trying to decide which of them would take part in the Bushtucker Trial, Savage Garden Centre.
Dom quickly volunteered for the trial in order to redeem himself after refusing to spend a night in the cave of terror the night before.
He said: 'I should do it as I didn’t go in the cave and I’ve not done one for a while. I’m going to have to face it. I don't know what this one is so it's a risk.'
Playtime: The celebrities were treated to a game of pass the parcel but it wasn't as fun as it first appeared
On his way to the trial, Dom explained: 'One of the reasons I did this today is that I felt I needed to get out and get the adrenaline pumping - I like adrenaline and I like being under pressure.'
When he got to the trial clearing, Dom was told he would have to try and find seven stars that were hidden in a giant greenhouse, two water pots and giant dung heap that made up the Savage Garden Centre.
A clue to the location of each star was given by a garden gnome before the 30 second limit to find the star began. Dom was also told the star would have to be placed in a wheelbarrow before the 30 seconds ran out for it to count and be considered a meal for camp.
But Dom wasn't too happy about the trial, telling Ant and Dec: 'It wasn't what I was hoping for. I'll be brutally honest with you, lads.'
For the first star, Dom was told to 'check out those boxes on the side' by the garden gnome, and quickly rummaged through to find the star before the time ran out - seemingly unconcerned by the rats inside the boxes.
Not so good: Dom was disgusted when he found out there were cockroaches in the package
However, he was unable to locate the second star in the set time.
At one point Dom muttered: 'This is it, the lowest moment in my television career!' He then won a further two stars but lost out on the rest despite the fact he declared before he started: 'I want to beat Aggro because he’s a very tough rapper and I want to disrespect him to the max.'
So, at the end of the task, Dom only succeeded in getting three stars for camps - meaning three meals to share between the seven remaining celebrities. Afterwards, he said: 'That was Aggro level, I’m very disappointed with that - it spells loser to me.'
Coming back to camp to inform the celebrities of his trial result, Dom said: 'I thought I’d chicken out, there were spiders there but I threw them across the room, I also got dung on Ant and Dec so that deserves a star.
'I did it all but it was just more annoying that I couldn't find them. But there's nothing I can do about it.'
Yuk! Kayla started screaming when she found a 'leech' on her arm, but her fellow celebrities played the incident down
Having a chat: Jenny and Dom take about their fellow campmates as they sit on the communal sofa
Later the celebrities were treated to a game of pass the parcel, to the soundtrack of In The Jungle.
Wearing party hats, the stars passed around the box, but it was Linford who opened the first layer to find hoards of cockroaches.
Dom said: 'Seriously, for one night, just leave the bloody cockroaches!' And Kayla added: 'This games sucks, we should be getting food, they know how hungry we are.'
Each layer of the parcel contained a gift from a former contestant, and the first one had Gillian McKeith's own brand health bars inside.
But Dom was less than impressed with the gift, saying: 'Would you eat them? Look at the way she has behaved for the past three weeks, would you really think, "I need whatever health bar she's eating?" Come on!'
He's out: Linford was the latest celebrity to be voted off
Other gifts include coconut butter from Alison Hammond and antiseptic wipes from Britt Eckland.
And it seems being in the jungle is taking its toll on Dom and Jenny, who both admitted they are bored with the conversation between campmates and living in the jungle.
Jenny said: 'I’ve felt fine, weepy, mad, fine, weepy mad today and I’m not sure I can go through another day. It’s like time has stood still like groundhog day.'
Dom added: 'I’ve had it with this endless round of conversation, I need to talk to someone else, if you weren’t here I would have definitely walked, I need to talk about something else, I sit here and listen to endless conversations about sh** music I hate.
'It is groundhog day in ever decreasing circles, I could very much do with Kayla going. She’s really annoying me for no reason at all it’s totally not her fault, it’s mine.'
And while Jenny said Kayla hasn't been annoying her, she added: 'She doesn’t do anything for me at all. I try to be sympathetic but she’s totally disinterested in me and what I do, she’s only asked me one question, what I used my mayonnaise for at home. She told me today she’s worried about her cat.'
Dom agreed: 'That’s the big emotional issue of her life. I think she finds you frightening because you are old. You represent her future.'
Slightly offended, Jenny replied: 'I’m trying not to be insulted by that! She finds Hugh Hefner a bit disgusting to her credit, she cringes about all the girls who actually sleep with him.'
In the evening, the camp were given three kangaroo sausages following Dom's performance in the trial.
And while Dom said he shouldn't have any of the meat, the rest of the camp insisted he should have a little bit of the sausage.
However, Kayla started to annoy Linford when she tried to put herbs and seasoning in with the beans.
He later said: 'I do not like taking orders in the kitchen. The person who is cooking should do the cooking.'
With only seven celebrities left in the camp, conversation topics are starting to dry up, prompting Shaun to tell his campmates about his troubled childhood involving vandalism, theft and selling stolen goods.
The singer admitted: 'As a child I loved getting chased and climbing, also stealing and entering and vandalism. On our industrial estate we had a Schweppes and a Bulmers and by the age of 12 I’d screwed the lot of them.
'I robbed them all. I sold the booze to an ice cream man. Once someone broke into our junior school, chopped the heads off the hamster and guinea pigs, sh** all over the place, smashed the place up and wrote Shaun Ryder on the blackboard. They spelled me name wrong of course.
'Before I was ten, three kids grabbed hold of me and held me down while one booted the hell out of me.
'We also used to get ping pong balls put them in silver paper, burn them and they’d be smoke bombs.'
Night of luxury: Jenny Eclair and Stacey Solomon were treated to a night of luxury on I'm A Celebrity
Jenny Eclair and Stacey Solomon were treated to a night of luxury after leading their Camp Sheila to victory.
While Jenny succeeded in getting seven stars in the Bushtucker Trial, Stacey beat Linford in a Bounceroo challenge.
And, after winning the luxurious night for herself and another celebrity, Stacey decided to take Jenny following her earlier success.
Proper beds! The girls were given luxurious single beds with duvets, cushions and plump pillows
Stacey and Jenny were treated to beds with duvets, pillows and cushions, a mini bar which included miniatures and beer, sweets and nuts, a bedside table and a rug on the jungle floor.
After arriving for their peaceful evening, Stacey said: 'This is exciting stuff! We've got dressing gowns, we've got peanuts and drink and clean water.'
Jenny said: 'We've got beds with clean sheets and huge cushions and nothing smells of cockroaches! I do feel slightly guilty but not too guilty.'
Girly night: They ate sweets, drank alcohol and had a chat about their fellow campmates
Night night: Jenny and Stacey bid each other good night as they settle down in their luxury beds
The celebrities were told earlier in the day they would be divided into their original teams - Camp Bruce and Camp Sheila - for one competition in which a member from each camp would go up against each other in the Bounceroo.
They were also told the winning team would experience a night of luxury while the losers would have to cope with a night of terror.
After Stacey and Linford volunteered themselves, they made their way to the clearing where they found two huge vats of rotten fruit with tubes attached.
Not so nice: Meanwhile Linford and Aggro had to endure a night of terror after losing a task
Terrified: Linford and Aggro didn't get much sleep while spending the night in the terror cave
They were then told they would have to squash as much fruit to make as much liquid as possible while wearing kangaroo suits and bouncing up and down on elastic.
And while Linford got off to a good start, his enthusiasm didn't match Stacey's analytical skills.
After figuring out which of the fruits would liquidise the easiest, Stacey quickly got the hang of things, and ended up beating her Olympic champion competitor.
Afterwards, Stacey said: 'We were so competitive…I don’t think he was that happy I won…he was a bit of a sulk.'
Bounceroo! Linford and Stacey donned kangaroo outfits to bounce on rotten fruit to get juice out
Winner! Stacey thought about the task tactically and ended up beating Olympic champion Linford
And a disappointed Linford confessed: 'You whooped my a*s! I’m thinking how do I tell the guys I’ve lost and will one of them come and spend a night of terror.'
When they headed back to camp, Linford decided to test his campmates by asking who wanted to spend a night of luxury before adding that he would choose who were quickest to respond for the night of terror.
On the other side of camp, Stacey was keen for one of her campmates to take her place and to go with another celebrity for the luxurious night.
But the rest of the ladies refused to let her forfeit her win, and Stacey eventually decided she would take Jenny with her, because she completed the task so successfully earlier in the day.
Explosion: Jenny Eclair completed the Dreaded Digger task, which Gillian refused to take part
Determined: Jenny's competitive side set in and she ended up winning seven stars for camp
However, on the boys team, the decision was not so easy as Dom refused to go as he had already had a night of terror when he first started on the show.
He told Jenny: 'I've had a bad one. I've been in Guantanamo and I'm not doing it again. I'll do the task tomorrow.'
At the end of the day, Aggro decided he would keep the calm and volunteered to go with Linford for the night of terror.
The pair then had their worst fears recognised when they were told they would have to spend the night in a dark cave, with only a candle for light, where they were joined by guests including spiders and cockroaches.
Uninvited guests: Jenny was joined by cockroaches, meal worms and nippy green ants in the digger
They were told they would have to last the whole night in order to win tea, coffee and pastries for the rest of camp.
Linford and Aggro were given the option of leaving the cave at any time, but that would mean the girls would have to leave their luxury as well.
When the boys and the girls headed back into camp, Stacey and Jenny tried to play down their night by just labelling it 'good'.
And when the boys came back, they labelled it a 'piece of p**s' before giving their tea and coffee to the rest of the camp.
Poo-gate: Kayla was furious after having to clear up someone else's faeces in the jungle toilet
Aggro said: 'We got breakfast for the camp, everybody's happy and I think we're going to have a good day.'
Earlier in the day, Jenny had blasted fellow campmate Gillian McKeith after she managed to get seven stars on the 'Dreaded Digger' Bushtucker Trial which the nutritionist refused to even try.
As she returned to camp after the trial, the comedian told the rest of her celebrities the trial was something 'a four-year-old could have done'.
But the comment didn't go down too well with Gillian, who accused Jenny of trying to make her feel bad.
First of all, the camp had to decide which of them would be taking part in the Dreaded Digger task.
After realising it was the task Gillian had refused to do, Dom said: 'It's the one Gillian pulled out of because she was unable to turn a wheel.'
Excited: Gillian McKeith couldn't stop smiling after she was finally voted off I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
After 17 days of moaning and annoying her campmates with her refusal to take part in trials, Gillian McKeith's time in the jungle has finally come to an end.
The nutritionist survived the jungle for over two weeks, but caused controversy with her frequent 'fainting', which was deemed 'fake' by many viewers and some of her fellow celebrities.
And Gillian said she was thrilled to be out of the camp, telling Ant and Dec: 'I'm so happy, I'm so happy I cannot tell you! I'm the happiest person alive.'
Legendary: Gillian's many fainting attacks have becoming something of a legend and have gone down in I'm A Celebrity history
She also spoke about the numerous fainting attacks she suffered during her time on the show, insisting they weren't fake.
Gillian said: 'I have a history of fainting, it's not something that I would ever want to do - it feels horrible. When I stood up my legs felt like jelly and then I woke up with the mask on. It's horrible.'
Time to go home: It was between Gillian and Aggro Santos, but viewers voted for Gillian to be evicted
She also admitted she had no idea why she had decided to take part in the ITV show considering all her phobias.
Gillian, who took part in EIGHT Bushtucker Trials, said: 'I must have lost my marbles. I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't think I would be picked for all these trials, I thought I would be cooking all the time!'
Ecstatic: Gillian couldn't believe her luck when she was told she would be going home
And Gillian labelled taking part in the trials 'so draining', adding to Ant and Dec: 'The first day I thought that would be it and then each day it would start again and the anxiety levels grew into panic attack mode - I felt as thought I was on high alert all the time.
'I was petrified I was going to get to do more trials. I thought, I've had my Hallelujah moment, I don't want to ruin it.'
The 51-year-old also spoke about the Dreaded Digger task, which Jenny Eclair had taken part in earlier in the show, but which she refused even to try.
Tentative: Gillian walked slowly across the bridge to meet Ant and Dec for her post-eviction interview
Revealing all: Gillian said she must have 'lost her marbles' by agreeing to go on the show
She explained: 'I felt like I had a breakdown in that digger. I felt like I was so emotionally raw I had nothing left to give. I would have liked to have tried but my brain wouldn't kick in with all those levers and everything.
'I thought I was going to faint and there would be bugs all over me - I couldn't do it.'
During her interview with Ant and Dec, Gillian was shown footage of her numerous arguments with former Happy Mondays star Shaun Ryder, who was more than a little vocal about his dislike of the TV presenter.
I'm free! Gillian makes her way across the bridge as she heads back to the real world
Together again: Gillian was met by her lookalike daughter Skylar
But Gillian said she doesn't hold a grudge, adding: 'The funny part is we got on sometimes but other times it was just frightening.
'He's a warm-hearted guy, he's kind and generous but there are times I just can't take the way he behaves.'
However, there was one celebrity Gillian connected with more than all the others - former X Factor star Stacey Solomon.
Asked who she wants to be crowned the winner of the show on Saturday, Gillian said: 'Stacey, without a doubt - she's definitely the Queen of the jungle in my book.'
Cringe-making: While Gillian deemed her fainting attacks 'embarrassing', she insisted they were entirely real
Queen of the Jungle: Stacey Solomon is named winner of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
Shock: Stacey admitted she was 'lost for words' after beating runner-up Shaun Ryder
Reunited: A tearful Stacey hugs her boyfriend Aaron Barnham
Down to earth: Stacey apologised for her 'bad breath' after she was crowned by Caroline Flack - who presents ITV2 spin-off I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here Now
Be patient: Stacey had to be covered in a 'sham-poo' of meal worms and crickets for 30 seconds during the last Bushtucker Trial
Keeping his cool: Shaun tries to relax as he's showered with 'cockroach conditioner'
Eeeeeek: Stacey had a biting ant manicure and a yabbie pedicure
Relieved: Dom Joly and Lembit Opik faced the prospect of being covered in gunge if Stacey and Shaun failed the Bushtucker Trial
The gang's all here: Their former campmates Britt Ekland, Alison Hammond, Dom, Lembit, Gillian McKeith, Jenny Eclair, Aggro Santos, Kayla Collins, Linford Christie and Sheryl Gascoigne were all back
