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Busted star Matt Willis has candidly spoken about his time as King of the Jungle as he admitted it was all an attempt to promote his career as a solo singer that backfired

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Matt Willis has admitted he made ‘a bit of a mistake by signing up for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! The singer, 42, competed in on Ant and Dec’s ITV1 reality survival series, which is just weeks away from returning to screens, in 2006, where he reached the final alongside fellow pop stars Myleene Klass and Jason Donovan before emerging victorious from the whole thing as King of the Jungle.

But nearly 20 years later, Matt, who has been married to former Big Brother host Emma Willis since 2008, has spoken candidly about how he felt after his time on the show. He recalled being encouraged to go on it in an attempt to raise his profile while trying to launch a solo career away from Busted, with whom he had enjoyed success with tracks like What I Go To School For and Year 3000 in the years prior.

He said: “I was thinking of a time when I lost my own narrative. And the one thing that springs to mind the most was leaving I’m A Celebrity. I was in a pretty bad place. The record company basically weren’t going to release my solo album… They said, ‘You’ve got to do something to raise your profile. Will you go on I’m A Celebrity? I went, ‘Yep, absolutely. Anything, please release my album!'”

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But the career move backfired in a sense, because once Matt returned from the jungle, he found that people were far more interested in his time on the reality show than the album he had hoped to promote.

Speaking on his On The Mend podcast, he added: “Once I came out of that show, I realised no one cared that I had a record out. Everywhere I went, they just wanted to talk about I’m A Celebrity. And it really bummed me out. Before I went on that show, I was only really famous to Busted fans. Then I came out and everyone knew who I was.

“When you’re in active addiction – which I was at the time – and you just want to hide, that’s the worst thing that can happen. Suddenly there were paps everywhere I went. I’d get in a cab and the driver would say, ‘Hello Matt’. It was such a weird experience. It was probably a bit of a mistake going on that show.”

Matt had released his solo album, titled Don’t Let It Go to Waste, while he was actually in the jungle in November 2006, and while his debut single Up All Night charted at number seven earlier that year, the album itself only made it to number 66. Following that, he carved out a career in theatre and starred in the musicals such as Footloose and Wicked before enjoying a short stint on EastEnders.

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More recently, he starred opposite former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones in a UK tour of Waitress. The musician has also returned to his roots and reunited with James Bourne and Charlie Simpson for various tours over the years, and they have staged concerts with fellow noughties boyband McFly as a supergroup known as McBusted.

He’s also known for fronting programmes like Netflix’s Love Is Blind and Change your Mind, Change Your Life with his wife. Amid his fame, Matt has been open and honest about his past struggles with addictions but felt that the notoriety that came with winning the jungle allowed others to access ‘areas of his life’ he would rather have kept private.

He added: I felt like I won the show but lost myself. I’d become known for being a celebrity rather than for my music. I was a sneaky little drug addict who didn’t want everyone poking their nose into his life. It was a really strange place to be. I had no privacy. People were looking into areas of my life I didn’t want them to.”

After the former Traitors star insisted the musician fathered her child, Charlotte Chilton and Conor Maynard engaged in a bitter paternity dispute.

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It was a battle that had appeared to be over, but Charlotte Chilton has once again revealed she is positive Conor Maynard is the father of her child. The former star of The Traitors is certain the musician fathered her daughter, despite DNA tests appearing to prove otherwise.

Ever since Charlotte’s pregnancy announcement and confessions that she believed Conor to be the dad, the duo have been embroiled in a bitter paternity battle. But how did the pair meet?

Conor, 32, is said to have met the 34-year-old reality TV contestant at a party for the BBC show. He had attended the shindig because his sister’s boyfriend, Harry Clark, had won the series.

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Conor and Charlotte are said to have had a one-night stand after meeting at the show’s wrap party. Charlotte insists that Conor gave birth to her child despite this.

However, subsequent DNA tests proved this was not to be the case. After the results, which were made clear in two separate tests, Conor made a snide swipe in Charlotte’s direction.

Conor said it was time to have his say after she claimed he was the father of her child. In a video shared last month, which appeared to promote a new single, as well as poking fun at the controversy.

Conor appears in it while holding a press conference with microphones displaying the words “Not My Sun,” “The Legal Guardian,” and “Traitor Times.” Then, a mock journalist steps up and asks: “Conor, do you still have to say no to women?” while another asks, “Roughly how much did you pay to change your DNA?”

He added the words “My turn on the mic,” along with “PREPARING “Cherry On Top” with the link in my bio.”

Charlotte continues to support her claims despite accusations and DNA tests that he isn’t the father. She wept as she discussed the “horrible” messages she’d received since Conor’s online posts about the results of their paternity test.

And Charlotte just so happens to say, “I have searched and looked everywhere for the answers because I know Conor Maynard is the only person who can be my daughter’s father.”

She continued, “I’ve talked to experts about what might have happened, which is that I could have had twins but had already lost one.”

Then, strange genetics emerge, allowing a twin to have taken a particular DNA to prevent her father from appearing on a paternity test. Chimerism refers to it.

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In her ongoing paternity drama with Conor Maynard, former Traitors star Charlotte Chilton has taken to social media to reveal one of the nasty comments she has received from a follower.

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Charlotte Chilton has revealed some of the trolling she has had to put up with on social media since insisting that Conor Maynard is the father of her child. The former Traitors star, 34, initially claimed that singer Conor was the father of her daughter after she was born in October 2024, but the Can’t Say No singer denied this and a DNA test confirmed he did not father the child in March.

Another was done in August, which gave the same result. However, in a recent interview, Charlotte has insisted that the results are wrong and that Conor is the father. Charlotte said: “I have researched and researched trying to find the answers because I know for a fact that the only person who can be my daughter’s father is Conor Maynard.

“I’ve talked to experts about the possibility that I could have had twins but had to lose one very early,” I’ve learned.

READ MORE: The Traitors star Charlotte Chilton hospitalised after anxiety over paternity test rowREAD MORE: Conor Maynard still suffering after Charlotte Chilton baby scandal ‘I can’t forget’

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“Then, strange genetics emerge, which could have caused a twin to have taken a particular DNA sample to ensure that her father is never identified on a paternity test. Chimerism refers to it.

She took a screenshot of one of the nasty messages her followers on social media received on Wednesday, posting it to Instagram. You are a truly horrific person, the message read. Nobody wants a better life than you do. I’m hoping it’s miserable. Charlotte merely wrote, “Lovely,” and then clintonized the sarcastic line with a hands-clapping emoji over the top of the screenshot.

During her initial chat with The Sun, Charlotte broke down in tears over the aftermath and said the way Conor acted was like a “kick”. She said he posted the results before she’d even seen them, and, as such, the “whole world knew” before she did.

The Sun conducted an interview that included the video. After the paternity results were made public, Charlotte claimed to have received “horrific” messages from online trolls. She continued, “Be kind to me, conor, but the hypocrisy hurt her,” she continued.

She continued, “He said be kind to me, but that felt like a kick because I thought, “You’ve done it this way not to me,” adding that it was difficult to see people applaud him for his words because she believed it was very different in the background.

Charlotte claimed that an “unidentified male was present” when Conor’s sample was taken five months after the paternity test returned negative. She continued to claim that the testing location had been changed in the last second. Despite this being a common practice to increase the test’s accuracy, she claimed that her own DNA was never taken.

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Charlotte was alleged to be requesting a court-ordered test in August to establish the child’s parentage. She was “blindsided” and “ready to fight” for him to take another paternity test, according to a source who spoke to The Sun.

The source added that Charlotte felt the previous test should be discounted because she felt it wasn’t done under the controlled conditions that they had agreed upon. The Mirror has contacted representatives for Conor and Charlotte for comment.

Earlier this month, Conor explained to us that the situation could have been dealt with in a private manner. While discussing his single Cherry On Top, which documents his views throughout the ordeal, he said: “I’ve pretty much always poured what I’m going through into my music, the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

Despite missing out on their 25th anniversary tour, Westlife have confirmed that Mark Feehily is still “very much a part of the band.” The band made it known earlier this month that Mark would not be performing at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate their milestone anniversary.

Following Mark’s health issues over the past few years, Mark will be the only one performing at the shows and on their new world tour. The 45-year-old developed sepsis in 2020 before being given a pneumonia diagnosis a year later.

The trio teased upcoming gigs for Westlife while appearing on The One Show. However, JB Gill, the host, brought up Mark’s decision to leave the tour.

Mark is not traveling today and is not going on tour either. Is he still a significant member of the band? he inquired. He responded, “He’s a significant member of the band.” We love Mark to bits, but sadly he’s unable to travel with us.

We’re eager to have him back, they say. We’re going to be doing this tour together, but we’re really looking forward to it.

Kian continued, “He’s on the new music as well.” We’re really looking forward to hearing some songs there, and the vocals are incredible.

Westlife announced earlier this month that Mark would not be performing at the anniversary shows. “Mike will be sadly unable to attend the celebrations. When he is ready and able, we hope he will be able to return to the stage. They continued to express their gratitude and love to you all in a statement.

“The four of us are still in shock that 25 years have passed. You have consistently shown us us that we are still in love and loyal to them wherever we go. We are so blessed to have you all with us, and we look forward to sharing a happy birthday with you! Happy 25th Birthday to all of us! Love, Kian, Mark, Nicky, and Shane X.

Before their first-ever tour of America, Mark announced a temporary break from the band last year as a result of his health issues. He wrote, “Hello and much love to you all! ” at the time on Instagram. Mark is present.

Most of you are aware of my recent health issues.

“It actually started three and a half years ago when I had surgery in August 2020. I was rushed to A&amp, E within a few days of having this surgery because I was in severe pain.

I eventually arrived at the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) where I learned that I had a serious ” Sepsis,” a life-threatening infection that would necessitate immediate emergency surgery to fix in order to solve the problem and basically save my life.

He continued, adding that he later developed an incisional hernia that required additional surgery after being diagnosed with pneumonia a year later.

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Claudia Winkleman left Strictly Come Dancing’s spin-off show It Takes Two for Zoe Ball, who is now one of the favorites to take her place.

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Former It Takes Two presenter Zoe Ball is the first to declare an interest in taking over the Strictly Come Dancing presenting gig now that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced that they are stepping down.

The TV and radio host made a point of sharing her interest in re-stocking Tess and Claudia’s sparkly shoes on her podcast. It would be “amazing” for her to return to the series, she told her co-host Jo Whiley. This comes shortly after Zoe, who succeeded Claudia when she left the spin-off Strictly, became one of the bookies’ favorites to get the presenting gig.

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“I think everyone would like to do that job,” she said, when Jo asked her if she wanted to do it. “It’s an amazing job, it’s the best Saturday night show. When I’m watching Ellie dancing with Vito or Lewis and Katya and Alex and JoJo…. they’re just so amazing. It still brings so much joy to people’s lives, that show. Whoever takes over will have the best gig in the world.”

The first major name to apply for the position is Zoe. Rylan Clark, who also hosted a series of It Takes Two, and Janette Manrara and Fleur East, the spinoff’s current presenters, are the other favorites to take over.

Zoe hosted It Takes Two in 2011 before taking over the hosting duties from Strictly Come Dancing in 2005. Claudia, who had been helming the series, made the transition to the main show at this time. When Claudia took a leave of absence in 2014, Zooe has also guest-produced Strictly Come Dancing. After ten years there, Zoe left the show in 2021.

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If Zoe were to take up the role, it would not just be a return to Strictly for her. It would also be a return to a primetime BBC slot. The presenter stepped down from her Radio 2 Breakfast Show after nearly six years in 2024.

When she first took over from Chris Evans in 2019, she was the first woman to present the show solo and became one of the BBC’s highest paid stars.

Everyone expected her to notice that she had withdrawn, and that she wanted to spend more time with her children and pursue new endeavors. However, in August, she claimed that she occasionally questioned her decision.

Jo added that her ideal presenting duo would be Zoe and Alan Carr, who is currently on The Celebrity Traitors. Alan’s popularity on the show has skyrocketed, and talks are already underway for him to have his own chat show following his Celeb Traitors stint.

Zoe praised Tess and Claudia for their support of the show elsewhere on the podcast. I just want to express my gratitude to the girls. Both of them are fantastic, and I believe that’s going to be a difficult act to follow.

Since 2004, Tess and Claudia have a relationship with Strictly. Many people were shocked when they learned their exit. The pair made the announcement in a joint statement on Instagram, which read, “We have loved working as a duo, and hosting Strictly has been a dream. We had planned to leave together before, but now it seems appropriate to do so.

Melissa Johns, an actress from Coronation Street and Grantchester, is getting ready to have her first child, but she says cruel trolls won’t stop her from feeling empowered by her appearance.

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Melissa Johns couldn’t be more excited to welcome her baby girl with husband Dan. The Coronation Street and Grantchester star is gearing up for the arrival of her first child – but being pregnant has changed her life in more ways than one.

The actress – who is best known to TV fans for playing Miss Scott in the ITV period drama – says being pregnant has made her feel empowered after growing up being told her body was “limited” after she was born without a right forearm or hand.

Melissa has documented her pregnancy in the way most parents do, with a gorgeous bump photoshoot. But for Melissa, these images represent more than just her own journey.

“It gives me such a powerful feeling. People have commented on, judged, and put their own limitations on it, she exclusively says, “I’ve spent a lot of my life with people telling me that my body is limited” and I’ve grown up not seeing people with body differences in bump photo shoots. I feel limitless when I grow and carry a baby. It’s wonderful to experience growing up feeling like I could never grow up and feel free to grow up.

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Melissa wants to change the narrative because she was raised being told that finding love and having children was impossible for her and that she “just needed to love herself.”

“I didn’t learn to hate myself from the beginning – it’s the world we live in. It’s a really tricky one to navigate. Me hating and loathing the body I have growing up, that wasn’t a product of me and how I felt about my body,” she says.

“It was the result of what I was told I should feel about my body,” she said. People commenting on my body now that I’m pregnant haven’t come as a shock to me because even when I was young, I was taught I was special and brave.

She continues, “I’ve grown up with it.” Although it’s strange when it’s not about my limb difference, it’s about my baby bump. That seems much more commonplace. It demonstrates how obsessed we are with our bodies, whether good or bad. We are obsessed with how we look, as a country, and having the bump has helped with that. It’s really nice to have something new to discuss.

Most mothers are questioned and probed about how to handle the arrival of their child. Melissa has had to deal with even more of these unsolicited questions because of her limb difference.

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“Sometimes, people will ask, “How will you manage?” What will the baby’s mother expect? How will you hold the baby simultaneously for a coffee with your friends? People do ask those questions, she says, and I’m making an effort to figure it out as well. It’s unfortunate that people are so intrigued by it because they don’t see it very much.

Melissa has been open about her fears for both herself and her daughter despite all the excitement surrounding the birth of the child.

I’ll be surrounded by a lot of kids when my little girl is a little older. Even at my age, I still have a lot of questions that every child asks. Children who ask lots of questions have always made me feel so afraid and intimidated. If I hear what other people think of my body, will my young girl think she needs to stand up for me? Does she think she needs to defend my side? Will she care to tell me something? Will she worry that she “hears things from people”? she informed us.

It won’t be long before Melissa is gracing our screens once more, but what does the birth of her baby mean for her acting career has made her question.

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“As actors get more anxious when they are pregnant, we rarely see them working.” Our careers worry us. Being a disabled actor, I had to work extra hard to show the industry that I can play any character, and it doesn’t have to be about disability. I’ve been worried about how having a baby will affect my career. What does it mean that I’m expecting a baby now that I’ve overcome those barriers?

Melissa is also biding her last farewells to a significant chapter of her life as she prepares to welcome her child. The actress has spent six years filming her final scenes as the ITV drama is about to come to an end.

“I’ve been filming for five months to nine months,” I said. The cast has been amazing, and they’ve all given me small presents for the baby, she says.

“I recently started watching that program. It saw me through Covid, it saw me through my ex-partner’s eight-year separation, and it saw me through the slumber of my house and the slumber of my friends in hotels. Dan and I met, got engaged, and we bought our first home. We were married during the final season, and we were planning to give birth the week before the baby was due. Many people are unable to live that way. How fortunate was Grantchester to me throughout all those ups and downs.

It’s obvious that Miss Scott will be accompanying Melissa as she welcomes her young daughter with husband Dan, despite the season’s end.