Tulisa has opened up about the aftermath of her recent appearance on I’m A Celebrity.
Earlier this month, the N-Dubz performer became the third celebrity to be eliminated from the reality show, admitting shortly afterwards that she was feeling “overwhelmed” at finding herself back in the spotlight.
In the end, Tulisa left Australia and returned home to the UK before the end of the series, rather than joining the rest of the contestants in the live final.
During a wide-ranging new interview published in The Guardian on Thursday, Tulisa explained: “I came out, still followed by cameras, all tits and teeth, and it wasn’t until I was on my own that I felt this introvert-overload. I was hyperventilating, crying. It was too much.”
She went on to say that she is still determining if her reaction relates to “a fear I have of being in the spotlight” or whether “the person I’ve become” is “just not the kind of person that wants fame any more”.
Tulisa had a turbulent time in the spotlight after her profile grew after becoming part of the X Factor judging panel.
At the height of her fame, the chart-topping singer was the victim of a revenge porn incident by an ex-boyfriend, and subsequently faced a number of high-profile legal battles.
She has been keeping a lower profile in the past few years, revealing to The Guardian that she chose to sign up for I’m A Celebrity to explore her relationship with celebrity in 2024.
“I had a lot of fear surrounding exposure, and I got to the point where I thought: ‘Am I holding on to this fear because of what people have done to me in the past? Am I letting other people change my perception of what my career is and could be?’,” she explained. “I didn’t want to feel that way any more.”
Upon leaving the jungle, Tulisa sparked concern among fans when she deleted all traces of the show from her Instagram account.
“I’ve been out of the spotlight for a long time, and I’m still trying to overcome those things,” she said of her past issues.
Tulisa added: “I’ve still got my little demons. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to go and hide back under a rock for another 10 years, it just means that I need a little bit of time to just process and get right with my thoughts.”
Help and support:
- 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).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.