TOFF AT THE TOP!
I’M A CELEB WINNER
MADE in Chelsea’s Georgia Toffolo has been crowned Queen of the Jungle after overcoming her fears on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
“Toff” had been the bookies’ odds-on favourite to win the ITV show for more than a week after wowing viewers with her bravery in Bushtucker Trials and positivity and happiness in camp.
She became the third female to win the series in a row – following Scarlett Moffatt and Vicky Pattison – and beat third-placed radio DJ Iain Lee and soap actor Jamie Lomas in the final, for which a total of nine million votes were cast.
After being announced as the winner, the reality star, 23, stood openmouthed then said: “I don’t know what to say, obviously I am shocked. I didn’t think anyone would like me.
“I am really taken aback, it is really overwhelming. Wow. Is this real?
“It is a dream, I have watched this since I was a little girl.”
Toff was given her crown by last year’s winner Scarlett, who praised her for “doing it for the girls”.
Toff said her cheeks hurt from three weeks of smiling, trying to keep her camp mates happy.
She said: “If you don’t stay positive, you wouldn’t enjoy yourself.”
Toff added of her experience: “It is so surreal, I loved it in there so much. I loved every second, I didn’t even mind cleaning the dunny. Nothing can prepare you for it.”
Referring to her trials, she added: “I didn’t think I had the strength to do what I have done in here, I don’t know where it has come from. I had to go out and prove girls could do it.”
In the last few days, she has missed close pal Stanley Johnson. Toff said: “I was beside myself when he went, we had these amazing little moments, what a lovely man. And I get to see him today.”
Second-placed Jamie Lomas, 42, said: “Toff is great at lifting spirits, she has been amazing. She has been a great champion. Well done, she deserves it.”
Ahead of the final, Toff’s mum Nicola had praised her appearance on the show.
She told her during a surprise visit to the jungle: “I need to tell you that my heart is bursting with pride because you have shown everyone how strong, fair, how kind you are, your little positive face every morning when you wake up.” But Toff could not believe she had made the final, saying: “Someone has totted up the votes, how out of all the people am I here? This is nuts. People are voting for us to be in the final. This is amazing.” Having already completed a number of trials during her three weeks in camp, she also overcame a horrendous last one in the final after being chosen for John T-revolting. Toff had to stay inside a transparent plastic box for 10 minutes to win three starters for the finalists, plus her own drink and treat.
Biting green ants were put into one arm, soldier crabs in the other arm, while around her right foot they poured cockroaches and around her left it was yabbies and mud crabs.
To top it off, Toff had spiders, scorpions and burrowing cockroaches running around her head. She lasted until the end and won the five stars, but said: “Whoever thinks of these trials is warped.” Asked about the hardest challenges, she said: “My greatest achievement in the jungle was doing nine minutes with those enormous pythons on me, The Snakes Are High trial – one of my lowest points was my biggest triumphs.
“I was freaking out, but there was no way I was going anywhere.” Toff went
on: “There are quite a few things not as you imagined. The hunger and starvation is so rife. I thought someone would give us a few titbits, just to see us over until dinner, but they don’t. What you see on the telly is what we go through.
“I do quite like rice and beans weirdly, I don’t know how or why. I always eat my beans first, one by one, then savour the rice because it is bloody fantastic.” Asked what she had missed the most, she said: “I love my heated rollers at home. Put the make-up on and then it is a big, beautiful, bouncy blow-dry.”
Toff became close friends with Corrie star Jennie Mcalpine and in particular Stanley, who she treated like a granddad. Toff said: “My opinions haven’t changed but I never envisaged growing so close to these people as we’re so different.
“Maybe outside we never would have met. I can’t believe I have formed such amazing friendships out of these people. It has really shocked me.”
Toff added: “Stanley in Made in Chelsea? Oh my God, that is going to happen when I get home. We can do a bump-in on the King’s Road. Stanley has promised me he is going to watch it, which is just everything.”