She’s currently making waves on this year’s I’m A Celebrity with her candid comments – but while some viewers are meeting Ruby Wax for the first time on the ITV show, she’s long lived an interesting life.
Decades before she appeared in the Australian jungle camp, Ruby was known for her onscreen work as both an actress and comedian. While she first shot to fame in 1985 as Girls On Top‘s Shelley DuPont, Ruby later carved out a career for herself as a documentary maker – interviewing controversial figures including the likes of Donald Trump and OJ Simpson.
Following her popularity on Girls On Top, it was no surprise when Ruby began working with the BBC in 1991 on her comedy talk show_, The Full Wax._ Three years later, Ruby Wax Meets Madonna aired on BBC, giving way to her series Ruby Wax Meets. The show saw the comedian interview some of the world’s biggest figures at the time – and in 1997, she was nominated for a BAFTA award for her interview with Sarah Ferguson, which attracted over 14 million viewers.
Despite her many wins with the British broadcaster, Ruby’s time with the BBC came to an abrupt end in 2003. Was Ruby really fired from the BBC? And what did Louis Theroux have to do with it? Let’s dive in.
Did Ruby Wax get fired from the BBC?
Ruby Wax wasn’t exactly fired from the BBC – but she did leave the broadcaster after they failed to recommission her high-profile talk show, Ruby Wax Meets, in 2003.
In the years following, Ruby has blasted the BBC and accused the corporation of ageism. The star alleged that her axing came once she had reached the age of 50, claiming they didn’t want older women hosting chat shows. Louis Theroux’s documentary series then took her place.
It was a topic Ruby touched on while appearing on Kate Garraway’s Life Stories in 2023. When asked by Kate why the television shows ‘dried up,’ the comedian replied, ‘Because I turned 50 and that’s not allowed.’
When asked whether it was an ‘age thing,’ Ruby replied, ‘Of course, and then there was a man who took my job. It’s not Louis Theroux, who is a really nice man.’
While Ruby only had nice things to say about documentary maker Louis during her interview, this hasn’t always been the case. Back in the 2000s, Ruby had accused the investigative journalist of ‘stealing’ from her.
What did Ruby Wax say about Louis Theroux? Their fallout explained
After her show was axed and replaced with Louis Theroux’s, Ruby made no secret of her distaste for the now-renowned documentary maker – saying he was responsible for the downfall of her broadcasting career.
It was Louis’ show that would replace Ruby Wax Meets, pictured in 2015 (Credit: Getty) © David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images
Not long after Ruby Wax Meets ended, the star blamed Louis of ‘taking food out of my mouth and my children’s.’ In one interview, she even revealed she had banned his name in her house. Speaking on the Dish podcast, Ruby said, ‘He was my nemesis… I forbade my children to ever use the name Louis. It’s forbidden.’
When appearing on a podcast in 2019, host Adam Buxton asked Ruby about comparisons made between her and Louis. Hinting Louis has stolen his documentary style from her, she replied, ‘Can we not discuss it? Everything we did, he took. I’ve moved on. I have a new career. But if you say that word to me, I’ll vomit.’
For years, Ruby blamed Louis for the loss of her show – only revealing later on that she had discovered it wasn’t Louis, but another television executive, who had been behind her show ending.
In 2020, Ruby cleared things up with Louis while appearing on his podcast, Grounded. Telling him directly that she hadn’t watched any of his documentaries until the morning of their interview, Ruby shared, ‘It’s not you, it’s what you brought up. Which is jealousy, envy, my dad’s disapproval… It’s my reality.
‘This morning I did look. I see what you’re doing, it’s great. You’re good, it’s what I should’ve been doing. Except I came out of Girls On Top, I was a persona – that’s how I made my money.’
Ruby later revealed during their chat that she was still compared to Louis on a weekly basis. ‘The name kept coming up over and over again, that it wasn’t even your name anymore,’ she said. ‘If I get in a taxi, it happens maybe more than once a week. They will say to me, “Did you used to do what Louis Theroux did?” Or they say, “What happened to you?”‘
In the past, Ruby has been open about her struggles with mental health. After her BBC show was axed, Ruby was hit with depression, before deciding to change her career. Going on to study a master’s degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from Oxford University, Ruby’s mental health campaigning saw her awarded an OBE for services to mental health in 2015.
Admitting that she was glad for the way things unfolded, Ruby previously shared, ‘I wouldn’t have gone to Oxford or got an OBE, so I thank them all.’
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! airs every night at 9pm on ITV1, STV, ITVX, and STV Player.
Charlotte Roberts is a writer at Grazia UK, specialising in SEO. She spends her days covering everything celebrity, culture, and entertainment – from film review roundups to cast explainers.
