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SEXY selfie queen Karen Danczuk admits she wanted to “dance around naked” when she conquered Bear Grylls’s Celebrity Island.
The saucy ex-Labour councillor and former wife of Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk reveals she was by far the toughest in the group of showbiz stars.
“So many thought it would be like a beach holiday on a tropical island,” she laughs. “I’m not a pampered celeb so I just got on with it. I am tougher than people think.”
And no-nonsense Karen’s takeover as leader this week got results when she provided the camp’s first meal in nine days.
“I just wanted to dance around naked I was so happy,” she grins. “It was a brilliant moment, we were literally starving.”
In this Sunday’s episode a Lara Croft-like Karen, 33, succeeds again – capturing a caiman crocodile from a swamp by single-handedly dragging it out by its tail.
“I would have felt like a failure if I didn’t get it,” she says. “We’re there to survive, it’s what the show is all about.
“So many of the celebrities couldn’t hack it. They thought the show was going to be a beach holiday. But you couldn’t just ring up for room service. It was a shock to their system. But I liked how raw it was and wanted the public to see that I am a tough northerner unlike these southern softies!
“It was an adrenaline rush. I might walk around in my bikini but I am not a glamour girl – I am strong and deal with whatever is thrown at me.”
Karen was joined on the remote uninhabited island by stars including Dom Joly, Ollie Lock, Lydia Bright, Dr Dawn Harper from Embarrassing Bodies, JLS singer Aston Merrygold and ex-Blue Peter presenter Zöe Salmon.
She says that the challenge, which was designed toraise cash and awareness for Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer appeal, was very personal to her.
“My step-dad died of cancer and it’s such an unfair illness,” she says. “He was taken far too young.”
And Karen blasted Mark Jenkins from Channel 4’s The Hotel for his treatment of her on the show.
Stitches
“Mark is the only one who I didn’t get on with. He is very sexist and he has a real problem with powerful women. It’s all the ingredients of a very insecure man.”
Karen says her success on the show was exactly what she needed after a challenging year which included dealing with her highprofile marriage breakdown and a recent incident while on holiday in Spain.
Police were called during an argument with ex-husband Simon, 49, who reportedly smashed down a glass door, injuring Karen while she was inside.
She woke up in a pool of blood and needed 40 stitches. He allegedly threw her mobile phone into the hotel swimming pool and spent a night in police custody, before being freed when Karen refused to press charges.
She said at the time: “I thought he was going to kill me. I will never be able to forget it, I was paralysed with fear.”
But four weeks later Karen is ready to move on and says she’s on better terms with Simon, and the pair have agreed to be amicable in order to protect their two sons,
She explains: “Do I want to be the person that finally ends his career? Do I want to be the person who tells my sons their dad is in prison? No. It’s important that for the sake of the boys we are amicable, that’s all I want.
“We are fine now. I’m no longer part of Simon’s life. But we are amicable. I don’t think I will ever forget what happened though.”
Karen says the trickiest thing will be sort- ing out Christmas – year – with Simon. A tricky making arra but says she will “even if he does en Christmas Day wi Boxing Day,” she s Despite quittin she would like to r years’ time. “I eat, sleep an do miss it, but not t