I'm A Celeb legend's blunt response to Grace Dent's exit as she 'struggled'

28 November 2023 , 15:27

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Joe Swash shared an insight into why Grace Dent may have found the jungle tough

I'm A Celebrity 2008 winner Joe Swash had a blunt response to Grace Dent's camp exit.

ITV confirmed on Monday that Grace had left I'm A Celebrity on medical grounds before airing scenes in which Nick Pickard read out her goodbye letter to the rest of the campmates. Speaking to the Mirror, Joe revealed how hard it would have been for the food critic. The TV personality explained Grace may have found it difficult away from her family and adapting to life in camp with a "lot of characters".

Joe explained that the show wasn't for the faint-hearted and said: "That’s why it’s the jungle, if it wasn’t difficult it there would be no point in doing it."

In an exclusive chat, he added: "I think the jungle is quite an overwhelming experience. You get flown across the other side of the world detached from your family.

"Usually when you’re away from your family you can phone them or Skype them or stay in some sort of contact so there’s a whole cut off there. You’ve been put in the jungle with a lot of characters in there, there’s hunger, there’s loads of reasons why the jungle is really difficult. I hope she’s okay and I hope she had a good experience."

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Joe Swash at Tombola’s Critter Challenge as the brand celebrates its seventh year of sponsoring the ITV show (Joe Pepler/PinPep)

Joe spoke out on his own experience in the jungle (Joe Pepler/PinPep)

Joe continued: "You can't really have any idea what it’s like when you go in the jungle it’s such a weird, surreal experience. Whenever I see people that have been in the jungle, you’re like, ‘We all know exactly what it's like, everyone wants to know what it's like but we actually know’.

"It's really difficult, mentally it’s quite difficult you have to be quite strong. There’s a lot time when you’re sitting around and you're not doing much you need to entertain yourself."

Grace told her campmates her "heart was broken" in a statement read out after her exit. It read: "My dear camp mates, I’m so sorry to let you down. I have left the camp for medical reasons. My heart is broken, I have loved and enjoyed getting to know you all.

Grace struggled after learning she had been picked for a trial (ITV)

"You’ve held me up and it’s been a pleasure being your friend through this experience. Leaving you all at this stage will be one of the saddest things in my life. I love you all. Your friend, Miss Grace Dent."

In a statement released before Grace's departure aired on screen, ITV said: "Unfortunately Grace Dent has left the show on medical grounds. She has been a great campmate and will be missed by her fellow celebrities and viewers alike."

The food critic was seen on camera on Sunday telling Josie: "I've had enough. I've completely had enough. I just want to go home," after being picked for the latest Bushtucker Trial.

Since her jungle exit, theories about the reasons why Grace quit have been circulating. A source close to Grace confirmed on Monday: "She is heading back to London today. She is tired and she just wants to get home." A source close to Grace said they thought the diet of rice and beans "had been a real shock to the system". They added: "She is a food critic so is of course used to trying lots of different things and fine dining and eating when she wants. The camp maybe was harder than she realised going in."

Joe Swash was speaking to the mirror from tombola’s critter challenge event, play Bug Match now at https://www.tombola.co.uk/

Charlotte McIntyre