I’M A Celebrity star Tom Read Wilson once shocked co-stars with the scandalous way his parents got together.
The Celebs Go Dating star owes his love of literature and etymology to his teacher father, crediting him with helping foster his impressive vocabulary.
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Tom Read Wilson revealed the surprising way his parents metCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Tom’s dad was a teacher and inspired his love of literatureCredit: Instagram
But more surprisingly, it was through his day job at Bradfield College, Berks, that Wilson Sr began dating his mum, Juliette.
Explaining his background on an episode of 8 Out Of 10 Cats last year, Tom said: “My maternal grandfather taught at the same school and sometimes the eldest girls of the faculty would date the youngest teachers.”
Picking up the thread, comedian Rob Beckett asked: “So your dad was a teacher there and your mum was a child there?”
Defending his dad, Tom said: “Well she was 18, coming of age. He was 16 years her senior.”
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Host Jimmy Carr chipped in: “He was 34 and she was 18.”
Admitting the age gap had never troubled him, Tom continued: “Yes. I never really thought about it.”
Juliette and Tom’s dad have separated, and it is his mum who has travelled to support him while he takes part in the jungle show.
She is proud of Tom’s way with words and admitted sometimes what he says goes over her head.
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After touching down in Brisbane, she told The Sun: “He’s very articulate. He was born with a dictionary in his mouth.
“His father is an English teacher, so that’s where he gets it from.
“He doesn’t get it from me, unfortunately.
“But he’s always been like that, which is great.
“Sometimes I don’t understand what he says! But it’s good.”
While he’s best known for his reality TV roles, Tom is a published author with three books to his name: Every Word Tells A Story, On The Tip of my Tongue: The Perfect Word For Every Life Moment, and Wonderful Words That Tell A Tale.
Speaking about his time in camp so far, Juliette said: “He’s just surpassed all my expectations. He’s doing so well.
“I’ve enjoyed seeing his personality and people starting to see the real Tom – people who haven’t seen him before.
“I just think he’s really coming across well, and hopefully that carries on. He’s great.”
She said she was surprised by his bravery on the show, as he tackled snakes during one challenge.
Juliette added: “That thing with the snakes, that was just very brave.
“I did deep down know he was quite courageous.”
Tom’s mum Juliette was 18 when she began dating his dad, who was 34 at the timeCredit: Instagram
