ITV The Real Full Monty star recalls experience which left him 'screaming'

03 December 2023 , 23:00

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Paul has said Gemma Collins branded him a 'drama queen' after the incident

The Real Full Monty is set to return to TV screens just before Christmas in a special Jingle Balls line-up – but one contestant in this year’s series had a terrifying experience which left him ‘screaming’.

Diana, Princess of Wales's former butler Paul Burrell will be turning butler in the buff when he joins a cast of celebs taking their kit off in front of a live audience later this month all in the name of charity.

But during filming, the 65-year-old admitted he got himself in a sticky spot when the celebs visited Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex. Instead of going shopping, like he thought they were, the famous faces went swimming.

Describing what unfortunately happened next, Paul said: “I can’t swim, but they forgot to ask me that. We went to Lakeside. I thought we were going shopping. We weren’t, we were going swimming. Trying to get me out of the boat and into the water was the biggest mission.”

Paul Burrell was left 'screaming' (ITV)

“I was screaming. Gemma Collins [who is also taking part in this year’s series] shouted, ‘Shut up, you old tart, you’re a bigger drama queen than me!’ Thankfully I had a life jacket on. I got in the water and I was towed ashore by the two Ashleys before being landed like a beached whale on the bank – I thought they might harpoon me at one stage,” he told The Sun.

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Paul is one of the celebs stripping completely naked in order to raise awareness of checking the body for cancer as part of the 2023 celebrity The Real Full Monty show. Each person who is taking part has had their lives touched by cancer in some way.

He was diagnosed with early stages of prostate cancer after a full medical just before he took part in the All-Stars version of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in South Africa last year. Paul credits the show with saving his life and is now in remission. Had he not had the health check, he believes it would have gone unnoticed for longer and he could now be in the late stages of the illness and even lost his life to it.

Joining Paul in this year’s The Real Full Monty lineup are TV presenter Julia Bradbury, 53, former The Only Way Is Essex star Pete Wicks, 35, and Dancing On Ice professional skater Vanessa Bauer, 27. Rugby star Ben Cohen, 45, Loose Women star Coleen Nolan, 58, and Drag Race star Nick Collier, 35 - better known in drag as Ella Vaday - will also bare all for charity.

*The Real Full Monty: Jingle Balls will air on ITV and via ITVX with Ep1 Monday on 11 December 2023 and Ep2 on Tuesday 12 December

Katie Wilson