Boy George: I want to be Queen of the Jungle
BOY George has declared he is “in it to win it” as he aims to be crowned “queen” of the jungle.
The Culture Club singer insists he will be giving I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! his all – with a revolution in the offing.
George said: “Queen, darling! It is about bloody time isn’t it. We are so fashionable now, the gays.
“I don’t think you should go on a show like this if you don’t want to do your best. I mean, it’s the same as walking on stage.
“I don’t ever walk on stage and think I will give a half-level performance.”
And the star, 61, who is reportedly picking up £500,000 for his time in Australia, promised: “I feel like I’ve been paid well for it so I’m going to be as Boy Georgey as I can.
“Will I sing? Of course. I will get involved in everything.”
The 1980s pop legend, full name George Alan O’Dowd, revealed hosts Ant and Dec were key in coaxing him to sign up for the hit ITV reality show.
The pair planted the idea in his head when they worked together and had further chats to lure him in.
George, who recently put his £17million gothic mansion in north London up for sale, said: “I was asked a couple of times in the past. Then I went on Saturday Night Takeaway.
“They said, ‘what would make you do it?’ and I said, ‘if you did a vegan or vegetarian one’ and they said, ‘we can’ and I thought, ‘oh **** ’.
“It actually took a while. And then I spoke to Ant and Dec again and you know how charming they are. They just encouraged me.”
George believes the show has changed over the years and wouldn’t have done it in the past when it appeared more volatile, with shouting matches taking place on screen most days.
George added: “It’s not as aggressive. If you go back to when Johnny Rotten was on it, or Katie Price, that was really hostile, not something I would have enjoyed.
“I don’t mind an argument or a debate and I’m excited about who might be in there and what might come up. Geminis are quite open-minded, we’re not overly moralistic. We’re not finger waggers.”
Meanwhile, contestants better have a head for heights. Stands-ins were seen trying out a high-rise stunt from a tower platform in the centre of Surfers Paradise yesterday. It is expected to be how some of the celebrities leap into the camp.
● I’m A Celebrity starts on Sunday on ITV at 9pm.