The ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ campmates have been praised for a frank discussion on mental health, which was aired as part of Tuesday’s (28 November) show.
A selection of this year’s jungle residents were seen speaking about their own experiences, after Stanley Johnson asked Iain Lee what his talkRADIO show includes.
“We have phone ins and we try and extract stories from the people that call in, we talk a lot about mental health and depression,” Iain explained, prompting Stanley to ask if he’s ever asked a caller about feeling suicidal.
“In essence that question would be asked because I’ve had suicidal thoughts in the past. It is the biggest killer of men, suicide, between 30 and 45,” the presenter replied.
Rebekah Vardy then joined the conversation, sharing her own thoughts and stating: “You draw from experience don’t you, I tried it when I was younger when I was 14.”
“Wow, that’s incredible, I’m sorry to hear that,” Iain replied. “It breaks my heart to think that as a 14 year old you would consider doing something like that but it is really common, did you get help?”
“No,” Becky said. “Because when I was that age, it was something that was pushed under the carpet and it had such a bad effect on me.
“I made such horrific decisions in life, and I got to a point after I had my second child where it just hit me and it does because you can’t run from it forever and that is what I was doing.
“I had really bad postnatal depression with my second, it’s like Pandora’s box opens and when it opens you have to deal with it.”
“I had CBT therapy which changes your brain’s thought process, I had counselling and I was on anti-depressants for a while and then all of a sudden things just started getting better because you learn to deal with things and you need to talk and talk helps you overcome so many things. It is so different now.”
Iain replied: “For my kids’ generation the way will be cleared slightly, I’m not proud that my head went that way, but it’s not a weakness.”
“The mind is a powerful tool” Jamie Lomas added. “If you let it run away with itself, it will do”.
Many viewers then praised the exchange on Twitter:
The current series of ‘I’m A Celeb’ has been a hit with viewers, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
The late arrivals of Iain and Kezia Dugdale soured the mood as the contestants were split into teams and forced to compete for food and care packages.
Last week, Iain shed a few tears, explaining that he felt dejected after failing to win meals in a bushtucker trial with caused Amir Khan to remark that he “never cries”, claiming it shows “weakness”.
As viewers slammed the boxer on Twitter, ‘Hollyoaks’ star Jamie became the voice of reason, stating: “It’s not a weakness, it’s a strength sharing your emotions and there is nothing.”
Useful websites and helplines:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
- Get Connected is a free advice service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@getconnected.org.uk