'There were rats..it is a real jungle

Marvin Humes on his I'm A Celebrity experience, backing his buddies and the importance of kindness

- LISA JARVIS

It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since radio and TV star Marvin Humes skydived into the I’m A Celebrity jungle. Despite being terrified of heights, Marvin, 39, jumped out of a helicopter at 15,000ft to reach the outback, where he spent three weeks on a diet of rice and beans with the likes of reality star Sam Thompson, This Morning host Josie Gibson and politician Nigel Farage.

And now, as the latest group of unwitting celebrities settles into jungle life for series 24, the JLS singer – who finished fifth on last year’s show – has some words of advice.

“It’s really boring and it’s practical advice, but they’ve got to make the food stretch,” he says. “I can’t tell you how much we take for granted things like salt and pepper and sugar and seasoning. The food is so, so bland. We would get a camel’s foot to eat and we would keep the skin just to flavour the rice!”

As well as I’m A Celebrity, Marvin, wife Rochelle, 35, and their three children Alaia-Mai, 11, Valentina, seven, and Blake, four, have been tuning into this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, to cheer on Marvin’s bandmate JB Gill.

Here, we chat to Marvin about his own I’m A Celeb experience, his bromance with Sam Thompson and who he’s backing for jungle glory…

Hi Marvin! We can’t believe you were in the jungle a whole year ago. What do you think of this year’s line-up?

It’s going to be another incredible year. There are some great characters and big personalities. I’m close with Melvin [Odoom]. He’s a friend of ours – he worked with Rochelle on