Jill Scott ‘still in shock’ after I’m A Celebrity win
The Lioness winner of the Euros won us over with her smile and her ability to take on any challenge thrown at her, writes Charlotte Mclaughlin
Jill Scott has said she is “still in shock after winning I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
The former footballer, who was named Queen of the Jungle after two rounds of public voting in the final of the ITV reality show, said she had been “overwhelmed” by the public support.
She won the first round with 47.3 per cent of the votes compared with 21.7 per cent for former health secretary Matt Hancock as Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner claimed 31 per cent.
She then won the final vote with 57.7 per cent, compared with Warner’s 42.3 per cent, ITV said.
Scott wrote on Instagram: “Thanks from the bottom of my heart for all the support whilst I was in the jungle!
“I’m totally overwhelmed and appreciate every single message, vote and just overall kindness! I’m still completely in shock and I don’t think
Queen of the Jungle will ever sink in!
“One thing I do know is I leave with so many great friends and that for me is the biggest win!
“Time to get home, shower a few more times and catch up with loved ones THANKYOU.”
The midfielder, who was part of the Women’s Euro 2022 winning team and later retired in the summer, posted a story on Instagram on Wednesday showing she had arrived back in the UK from Australia.
It showed her returning to Boxx2boxx Coffee in Manchester, which she owns with her fiancée Shelly Unitt.
Scott told ITV’S Good Morning Britain on Monday she does not have “a plan in place” for what she will do now.
“I actually don’t know what I’m going to do next,” she said. “I just feel, like, if you give everything every single day and keep trying to be a good person, then we’ll just see what happens.”
Hancock separately said he
knew joining I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! would be “controversial”, but that ultimately “millions of people” voted for him.
The 44-year-old resigned as health secretary in June last year after he was caught breaking coronavirus social distancing rules by having an affair with Gina Coladangelo, then his aide, in his ministerial office.
After being reunited with his partner and driving to the production site, Hancock is seen in the ‘Coming Out Show’, which aired last night, asking her: “Of course I’m curious to how it’s gone, was I authentically me?”
Coladangelo replies: “It took a few days I felt for you to relax.”
Hancock adds: “When I was being grilled in the early days, I felt like people were asking me on behalf of the British public. I knew going in it would be controversial, but I also know millions of people have voted for me.”
Hancock also breaks into an Ed Sheeran song, much to her embarrassment.
The episode also sees Coladangelo saying: “I think it’s fair to say that Matt underestimated the scale of the reaction to him coming into the jungle.
“He’s made of tough stuff, this summer we trekked around Mont Blanc together in four days. My last words to him were just be yourself, be the Matt I know and it’ll go really well.”
After being reunited with friends and family at a hotel outside camp, Coladangelo introduced herself to Boy George, who had a fractious relationship with Hancock on the show.
The Culture Club frontman told her: “It’s all cool love, we got on in the end.”
The special episode showed the moments after each contestant was eliminated from camp and reunited with friends and family.
Comedian Seann Walsh’s exit from the camp saw him greeted by his pregnant partner Grace, who shows him her growing bump to his delight.
He told her: “All I could think about in there was you and coffee” before heading to the catering tent for a full English breakfast.
Former England rugby player Mike Tindall’s exit involved him being greeted by his wife
Zara, the Queen’s granddaughter, and them embracing on the bridge. “It’s been a long few weeks, the kids have missed him so it’ll be nice to get him out,” she said.
It comes as Hancock revealed he had been paid £45,000 to appear on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. He declared the payment in an update to the MPS’ Register of Interests published on Wednesday.
The entry also revealed he spent 80 hours filming the programme while Parliament was in recess between September 24 and October 8, shortly before heading to Australia to appear in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Mr Hancock is yet to declare the amount he was paid to appear on I’m A Celebrity, which finished on Sunday, but reports have suggested his fee for the show was significantly higher.
His appearances on the two shows have proved controversial, with his decision to head to Australia resulting in him losing the Conservative whip and putting his future as an MP in jeopardy.his appearance on Celebrity SAS is expected to air in
2023.
A total of 10.1 million viewers tuned in to Sunday’s I’m A Celebrity final, ITV said, making it the highest-rated since football manager Harry Redknapp won in 2018.
Four years ago, an average of 10.9 million watched the series finale.
This year’s total is an increase of 3.6 million viewers on the end of the 2021 series, which saw celebrities roughing it at Gwrych Castle in Wales, ITV added.
Sunday’s show attracted a peak audience of 11.5 million. A post-series Coming Out show will air on ITV and the ITV Hub.