As Gillian McKeith emerged from a box as the latest I’m A Celebrity contestant last night, campmate Shaun Ryder could be heard swearing. He later remarked that “she should have stayed in a box”.
The new all-stars series of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa has allowed ITV the chance to stir up some old rivalries, and it seems they’ve gone all out.
In the first twist of the series, I’m A Celeb has reunited Shaun and Gillian, two stars behind one of the show’s most iconic feuds. Here’s a recap of what went down between them, now over a decade ago.
I’m A Celebrity: Shaun Ryder and Gillian McKeith’s beef explained
Happy Mondays star Shaun Ryder and TV nutritionist Gillian McKeith were contestants I’m A Celebrity way back in 2010.
The pair were at constant loggerheads throughout the series, clashing over everything from Shaun’s smoking to Gillian eating his fruit.
One of their most memorable moments came when the pair took part in a trial together. They were tasked with collecting rubber ducks from a freezing cold pond. Cold water soon turned to hot water when the pair began to bicker and Shaun called Gillian “a [bleep]ing irritating woman”.
Fighting back, a shower-cap-clad Gillian told him: “You say nasty things all the time… your tone, everything.”
Later on, attempts by Gillian to make peace with Shaun were shut down by Shaun saying she was “totally up her own [bleep]”. Shaun, who finished as runner-up, went so far as to tell Ant and Dec as he left the jungle: “If Gillian was my wife, she would be in pieces in a plastic bag, deep in a hole in the back garden.”
If Gillian was my wife, she would be in pieces in a plastic bag, deep in a hole in the back garden.
They also clashed over his smoking when Gillian told him not to smoke in front of her. “You [bleep]ing what? I’ll smoke where I want, you can go in the[bleep]ing toilet. I smoke where I want, don’t tell me where I can’t smoke,” he blasted.
She also asked him not to swear: “I’ll [bleep]ing swear when I want to swear so [bleep] off.”
Gillian later described the pair as having a “love-hate relationship”, adding that she was often “frightened” of him.
Shaun, meanwhile, said she was “a bit of a [bleep]” who “just had no manners”.
Last night’s reunion
In the Bush Telegraph last night, Shaun didn’t seem too thrilled with the prospect of reuniting with Gillian. He said: “Gillian came out of a box. I was very surprised. I probably could have done without it being Gillian, yeah.”
One body language expert also commented on last night’s show. Speaking on behalf of Betfair, Darren Stanton said: “It’s going to be an interesting dynamic in the group, especially with the surprise entrance of Gillian. It’s clear Shaun already has a few issues with her, which he found difficult to mask. When he realised it was Gillian entering the camp, his face was one of total disbelief. The expression he pulled was not positive. He also flashed a combination of both contempt and disgust.”
Only time will tell if the pair will put their feud behind them…
What do you think of I’m A Celeb so far? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know!