Posh Toff’s dad is scrap metal man
Toff’s dad reveals her humble roots
I’M A Celeb star Georgia Toffolo has working-class roots and a scrap metal trader dad, we can reveal.
GEORGIA Toffolo impresses I’m A Celeb viewers as being every inch the posh, privately educated star.
But while she is a toff by name, she is not one by nature. We can reveal the 23-year-old has humble workingclass roots – and a father in the scrap metal trade.
Dad Gary Bennett is still based in Torquay, Devon, where Georgia grew up and is “extremely proud” of his daughter’s achievements.
Gary said: “I’ve been proud of her all the way. I’m just a standard guy, a normal Devon guy who works for himself. I’m extremely proud of what she’s doing and where she is at the moment.” Gary, also a commercial property landlord, watched at home from the £200,000 flat in a property he is renovating as Georgia – who was said to be worth £800,000 when she entered the jungle – competed in the Worst Dates task. Viewers saw her walk The Plank from a 334ft high skyscraper on Sunday. “Georgia on that plank was amazingly brave,” said Gary. “I was proud of her courage and strength. I couldn’t do it. She’s done well but there’s a long way to go so I don’t want to jump up and down yet.” Despite her humble beginnings, Georgia has gone on to live a glamorous lifestyle, regularly partying with millionaires in London’s socialite scene. But Gary said: “Sometimes she does live like that and sometimes she has a bit
of normality in Devon. She’s capable of doing it all. It makes me cringe, the image portrayed of how she lives.”
Gary, 52, paid for Georgia to attend Blundells and The Maynard school in Exeter, saying: “I’m a strong believer in education and I wanted to give my daughter the gift of education.” She then went to the Torquay Girls’ Grammar School and took an
LLB law degree at the University of Westminster. But she admitted on the hit ITV show she did not finish her degree before working at a family-run solicitors in Devon. Speaking of her rise as a celebrity, Gary said: “With all that came this glitzy stuff. She was in those social circles so that’s how it went. “Georgia embraced it and ended up in London. I’m really proud of her confidence and independence to have carved a career for herself.” He said the distance can mean the pair see less of each other, adding: “She lives in London now, so not so much now, but we’ve always been in touch. I’ll go up there and she comes here.” Gary split from Georgia’s mum, Nicola Toffolo, when the star was just a baby. But he said he and Nicola, who never married, have remained amicable. Gary added: “Our common ground is our daughter.”
The former motor industry worker holidayed in Ibiza with Georgia this summer, where she was filming a Made in Chelsea special. During her breaks, she hung out with her dad at the Ocean Beach Ibiza.
But while Georgia posted several images of herself on the Spanish island, Gary did not feature.
Georgia regularly posts photographs of herself with mum Nicola and even her grandad, Bertie Toffolo.
Her maternal nan has even appeared on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me out of Here Now! and an episode of Made in Chelsea. However, Gary insisted he understands that Georgia needs to portray a certain image on her social media channels.
“Georgia’s Instagram is business for her,” he said. “Her mum and that side of the family fit into the image of that better. Georgia and I are close and will socialise in London. I’m happy with that, I don’t want to be on there anyway. We’ve never discussed it. I’m glad about how she’s conducting her business – she’s doing a great job.”
Asked about his role in the scrap metal industry, Gary said: “That’s a part of it, I do recycling and nonhazardous waste removal.”
Speaking about his daughter’s prospects after she completes her stint in the jungle, he said: “It’s going to elevate her career, so I’m really happy.”