On November 10, I wrote a commentary on this year’s I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here line-up, of which I was less than enamoured. Remarking on Tom Read Wilson’s addition to the show, I said I could “see him being an early departure once the reality of jungle life sets in”. Ruminating on what he would be like in camp, I penned: “He is likely to try and capitalise on his ‘agony uncle’ reputation and counsel his fellow campmates as if they were appearing on his show, Celebs Go Dating. He is obviously angling for his own presenting gig, so is unlikely to say or do anything to jeopardise the end goal.”
While I completely stand by the last part – let’s be honest, everyone in there is trying to further or rebuild their careers – I feel I owe him an apology for assuming he would quit I’m A Celeb rather than go the distance. He has literally gone from zero to hero in the past few weeks and currently has odds of 5/1 with Ladbrokes to win, which installs him as the third favourite behind Aitch at 7/4 and Angry Ginge at 15/8.
Tom has always seemed like someone who appreciates the finer things in life; he even mentioned that the one thing he would miss in the jungle is champagne, and this has been borne out by his online presence.
From the snippets we see of the interiors in his Essex home to his immaculate wardrobe, everything about him is tasteful and refined. These are wonderful qualities, but they don’t usually bode well for a prolonged period of roughing it, which is what my opinion was based on.
However, he has proved to be a revelation during his time in camp. He adjusted far better than most of his fellow celebs and has managed to befriend everyone and avoid conflict – obviously, his “agony uncle” background helps with this.
He has also proven to be absolutely hilarious and engaging. Make no mistake – the I’m A Celebrity jungle is a pretty boring place. Between trials and the footage you see on camera, there is a lot of downtime where the campers are left to their own devices.
Every person I have interviewed who has appeared on the show says this is the worst bit, but this year’s crew have Tom keeping them amused with his anecdotes and gift for accents.
Their affection for him is such that when he did have a wobble and the tears flowed, they all rushed to comfort him as he said: “I’m a wreck, sorry… I’m a wreck today; I just can’t stop. I think I’ve opened the floodgates a bit.”
I have been covering I’m A Celebrity… for many years, and he is one of the few campmates in history who hasn’t ruffled any feathers. He has pulled his weight but never become overpowering. He has managed to assert himself without being aggressive, and he has proven to be thoroughly likeable.
I’m sure I can’t be the only person who has reassessed my opinion of him in recent weeks, and hopefully everyone who has fallen in love with him will vote as he deserves to be this year’s King of the Jungle.
