'I'm A Celebrity' winner Kian Egan has revealed that the show's bosses kept him hungry, and deprived of 'quality' time' with his wife, in order to make better television.
The former Westlife singer says in an interview with the Daily Mail that, although he won a night in a luxury villa halfway through this year's competition, and a brief reunion with his wife, when the pair asked to go upstairs together, the producers told them 'By all means... definitely not!'
Kian says, "My feeling of isolation was complete."
Kian Egan was the winner of this year's show, but he wasn't happy
Although Kian emerged as one of the most robust contestants in this year's jungle, which saw Amy Willerton busted for smuggling in contraband cosmetics, and swimmer Rebecca Adlington breaking down in tears through body insecurities, he has revealed his own fragility.
The fitness enthusiast complains that he and the other contestants became increasingly weak, both physically and mentally, as they struggled to cope on only about 600 calories a day.
Even if a contestant won extra food through success in the bushtucker trials, that didn't mean enough food to ward off exhaustion and emotional fragility as the competition progressed.
Kian and David Emanuel emerged as the most robust jungle inhabitants this year
Kian says, "It’s not nearly enough to maintain our energy levels, and our minds and bodies got weaker by the day.
"Before I went into the jungle I was in the gym a lot and I was eating protein and vegetables, proper fatty acids and nuts, avocado, things like that. My body was full of energy and then suddenly — chop!"
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Kian's worst day came following his meal of an ostrich egg, which made him feel so ill, he spent most of the day lying in his hammock, warding off dizziness and nausea.
"The producers don’t show that kind of thing because it’s not entertaining," he says.
Despite his problems with the food, isolation, missing his family and boredom, Kian has only good words to say about his jungle pals, including Amy Willerton - "not selfish, just young" - and Matthew Wright - "entertaining", but saves his biggest praise for fashion designer David Emanuel, who emerged as the runner-up in the competition this year.
Read Kian's full interview here...