Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Dec: I’ve got my best mate back
As the jungle Celebs fly in...
nothing to do with Ant’s health battle. But it means he will be working most of next weekend when he turns 42 – so it seems his usual boozy birthday party at an Aussie bar will be axed.
A source close to Ant and Dec told the Mirror: “They’ve been in the business for more than 25 years and they know there will be a lot of scrutiny on the first few shows this year because of what Ant has been through.
“But they have always been total pros and are just keen to get going. It is a series which really shows off their brilliant jokes and their friendship.
“Dec has been a rock for Ant since he went public with his problems and he will be there for his friend if there are any last-minute nerves.
“They will work harder than ever to make this series a great one.”
Flanked by heavy security, Ant and Dec picked up groceries yesterday and began setting themselves up for their month-long stay in Oz after landing at Brisbane airport on Saturday.
Ant revealed his problems in August, saying at the time he had been driven to drugs because of a painful knee injury.
He said: “I was at the point where anything – prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs – I would take.
“And take them with alcohol, which is ridiculous. The doctors told me, ‘You could have killed yourself.’” He added he knew the game was up as he pleaded with his wife to get him to hospital after he had binged on tramadol, morphine and alcohol while recovering from a second knee operation in June.
He recalled: “It was five in the morning and I was screaming in pain so I rang Lisa.
“She was upstairs because I was living in the living room because I couldn’t get around.”
Asked if his doctor warned him of the risks, Ant admitted: “Yeah. And the warnings are on the packet.
“I didn’t take them as seriously as I should have.
“And I drank with them, which was stupid and very reckless. I didn’t think how dangerous they are.”
He added: “You just think you know best – I’m in more pain, I’ll just whack another one down. That’s the danger – self-medicating.”
I’m a Celebrity... begins on Sunday on ITV at 9pm. AMIR Khan and Corrie’s Jennie Mcalpine last night joined the growing crowd of celebrities in Australia ready for the start of the jungle show.
The 30-year-old boxer will compete for the crown before embarking on a boxing comeback in 2018.
Amir said: “I want to fight three times next year. King of the jungle? I don’t know about that but king of the ring suits me better. I want to fight in February, then just before Ramadan.
“I am always training and I’ll train in the jungle.” The former world champ has not fought since he was knocked out by Canelo Alvarez in May last year.
Amir, who has a three-year-old daughter Lamaisah with wife Faryal, added: “This is my first time in Australia. I am not scared of anything.
“I always miss my daughter when I am away, it is going to be a nice break.”
He recently reconciled with Faryal who is now pregnant. The pair tweeted a photo together on Saturday and said: “With my four month pregnant wife, after sorting out all the issues. Closing the year with a happy ending.”
Amir and Jennie, 33, join The Saturdays’ Vanessa White, 28, Made in Chelsea’s Georgia Toffolo, 23, Hollyoaks’ Jamie Lomas, 42, ex-footie star Dennis Wise, 50, and vlogger Jack Maynard, 22, already Down Under for the ITV show. WAG Rebekah Vardy, wife of striker Jamie, is expected soon.