Bubbly 80s icon Sinitta thought they’d ‘go easy’ on her on I’m A Celebrity All Stars due to her age – but she couldn’t have got it more wrong
The age-defying star says she’s ‘not a happy camper’ and ‘making friends with nature was hard’(Image: PA)
Larger-than-life singer Sinitta rose to fame in the 80s with her high-energy pop hits, later becoming a reality TV favourite as well as a regular in the Judges’ Houses round of The X Factor, where her iconic outfits often stole the show. (Who could forget her palm-leaf bikini in 2009?)
There were more memorable moments during her stint in the I’m A Celebrity jungle in 2011, which was defined by her vocal terror of jungle creatures and hilariously dramatic reactions to the Bushtucker trials.
And it seems Sinitta is a glutton for punishment, as she is one of the celebrities starring in the upcoming jungle spin-off series, I’m A Celebrity… South Africa.
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.
She no doubt encountered some scary critters and tough conditions while filming the show, but when the Mirror catches up with her at the British Diversity Awards in London, she’s looking as fresh as a daisy. “Thank you,” she laughs when we compliment her ageless appearance. “I mean, I’m back in one piece… ish. They did try to kill me in that jungle!”
While she can’t give away any gory details before the show hits our screens, she does reveal, “They did everything to me that I said I didn’t want done. But I guess that’s how it works, isn’t it?”
But it wasn’t all bad – she did adore visiting South Africa. “Oh, I loved Africa. The jungle, not so much, but Africa is absolutely beautiful,” she says. “I mean, you shouldn’t compare countries, but where we were, compared to Australia, there’s no comparison. It was like paradise, with waterfalls, mountains, just extraordinary.”
The WhatsApp group with her fellow campmates is still going, she reveals. “David Haye started it. And yes, we’re all still in touch, we all chat.”
So was her jungle experience what she expected it to be the second time round? “No!” she laughs. “You do these pre- interviews and I thought it meant it wouldn’t be as bad. You know, because we’re older, a bit more fragile maybe. But no… it’s harder. Much harder.
“This version is worse, and I really wasn’t expecting that. I thought they’d go softer on us the second time around, but absolutely not.”
It sounds like it’s going to be quite a treat for viewers though, and Sinitta agrees. “If you’re a fan, you’re going to love it even more. This is the show on steroids. They really, really pushed us,” she says.
“When I look back, I can’t believe I did it. I actually think I must be an AI, because I don’t know how I got through it. If I’d known what I know now, I wouldn’t have gone.” She adds, “When I did it 15 years ago, I was like a child, even though I was grown. This time, I feel changed as a person.”
At 62, Sinitta is in incredibly good shape – and full of beans. That must have helped when the going got tough? “I do stay fit,” she says. “I do Pilates, I like learning new things, but I’m not a happy camper. I’m not into sleeping outside. Making friends with nature was really hard. But I’m glad I did it.
“Opportunities like that don’t come along often, especially at this age. I felt honoured to be asked. They could have asked anyone, so I had to do it – and give it everything I had.”
Back home, Sinitta admits she’s very happy with her mystery man. “He’s lovely. I call him Little Harry Redknapp. He’s not in the public eye at all, which is very nice,” she says.
Sinitta is also a proud mum to Zac and Magdalena, who she adopted in 2007 with her then-husband Andy Willner. X Factor supremo Simon Cowell, a close friend of Sinitta’s, is godfather to both.
Zac, she says, has been doing a bricklaying apprenticeship, but is also involved in an exciting new venture. “He’s also running a very successful bar, Albert’s Schloss, by Piccadilly Circus,” she says.
“It used to be the Rainforest Café space. He runs the upstairs bar and they queue down the street until 3.30 in the morning to get in.
“He’s dipping in and out of college – learning different techniques, different cements, but his social life and everything is centred around the bar. He’s living his best life.”
As for her daughter, Sinitta says Magdalena is following in her mum’s footsteps, in her own way. “She’s working with some music producers, and her music has a very distinctive sound. Not pop like me – it’s very cool, very different, but totally her own vibe,” she says.
Does Sinitta give her any tips? The singer, whose own mum is Canadian actress and singer Miquel Brown, believes Magdalena is “very good” – but knows from personal experience that she must let her forge her own path.
“When you’ve got a well-known mum, it’s so important to find your own identity. For years, I was ‘Miquel Brown’s daughter’ in theatre circles. When I became Sinitta, that was everything,” she explains.
Miquel doesn’t look anywhere close to her 81 years, so good genes must run in the family. “Yes, very good genes,” Sinitta says. “I have to lie about my age when we’re together, so people don’t think Mum is the age she is.”
Not one to sit still for long, Sinitta tells us she is preparing for a one-woman show, which she is going to take on tour.
“I’m going back to where I started, in small clubs,” she says. “It’s some storytelling, singing, cabaret, a bit of everything really. I’m launching it at the Vauxhall Tavern in London on 1 May, then taking it around the country and building it up.”
Before that, we have Easter coming up and there are only two things on Sinitta’s mind for the holidays. She says, “Very simple – I’ll be eating lots of chocolate and going to church!”
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa starts on Monday 6 April at 9pm on ITV1
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
