Comedian has last laugh on reality rivals

FIONA O’Loughlin has been crowned queen of the jungle in the grand finale of I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here!

The Australian comedian, 54, pipped Aussie rocker Shannon Noll to the post to win the Channel 10 challenge series.

“I just feel like the luckiest duck alive,” O’Loughlin said.

“Without a doubt the jungle has changed me. I will never take anything for granted again.”

It’s a sweet victory for the popular funny woman, who before going into the jungle told of her struggle to stay sober after years of alcohol abuse.

“I have an alcoholic mind, I will always have an alcoholic mind,” the mother of five said.

“And that alcoholic mind will at times tell me that it is a good idea to have a drink. It is a cunning, powerful and baffling disease. What I do every single day is just not have that first drink.”

Boxer Danny Green placed third.

“It has been such a lifechanging, incredible experience,” Green said.

“I never thought that I would get this much out of it. I have met some fantastic people, I’ve made some new friends for the rest of my life.”

As the runner-up, Noll’s feat will be likened to him falling second to Guy Sebastian on the first season of Australian Idol in 2003.

Contestants have spent the past six weeks living in the South African jungle, surviving on basic food rations and competing in various challenges in the hope of winning the series title and $100,000 for their chosen charity.

O’Loughlin’s charity was Angel Flight.

British cricketer Freddie Flintoff won the first season while footballer Brendan Fevola took home the crown in the second series and singer Casey Donovan was crowned queen of the jungle last year.