Lisa Riley has opened up about the staggering weight loss she experienced while in the jungle now that she has departed I’m A Celebrity.
The actress was booted off the show after a double elimination alongside Jack Osbourne, with the soap star having since returned to social media to thank fans for their support.
And since she’s been out of the jungle, she’s also been discussing the physical impact a diet of predominantly rice and beans has had on her physique.
The Mandy Dingle actress claims to have shed an incredible 20lbs during her stint in the jungle, although she has admitted it isn’t solely to do with the rice and beans that are synonymous with meal times.
ITV I’m A Celebrity: Lisa Riley with Ant and Dec
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ITV
“Do you know what it is? It’s portion control,” she explained to the Daily Mail. “Everyone says, ‘Oh, it’s beans and rice.’ Yes, it is beans and rice, but it’s actually what you consume.”
Ms Riley emphasised that the camp’s demanding terrain kept contestants perpetually active.
“When you go up to the Telegraph to talk, it’s step after step. When you go to a challenge, you never stop moving. It’s endless,” she said, adding that by evening, any calories consumed had likely already been burned off.
The hunger and weight loss may explain why Ms Riley was quick to reveal exactly what she planned to devour once at the hotel after leaving camp.
ITV I’m A Celebrity: Lisa Riley lost 20lbs in the jungle
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ITV
Speaking on the I’m A Celebrity Instagram page, she said: “The first thing I am gonna have to eat is a big doughnut. I don’t care how big it is, a big doughnut. And I’m having a coffee! Haven’t had coffee in so long.”
She added: “The first thing I’ll miss about the jungle is not being able to sleep in the open air, the great outdoors, the sky’s there… and of course, Ginge to make me laugh.”
Ms Riley also added that the one thing she wouldn’t be missing about life in the jungle was the rats in the camp. “Bye-bye rats. No more,” she told I’m A Celeb fans.
Despite her typically upbeat demeanour, Ms Riley experienced a profound emotional struggle during her time in camp, describing herself as feeling “alone” and “vulnerable” following the fish gut challenge.
The actress called this period her “toughest time” in the jungle, explaining that the physical and mental demands of the trial left her depleted.
Her distress did not go unnoticed by fellow campmates. Ruby Wax observed that “baby’s lost her smile,” prompting concern throughout the camp.
Ms Riley credited several contestants with helping her through the ordeal. “Martin was there, Jack was there for me, Ruby… the boys,” she said, noting how the younger male contestants instinctively rallied around her.
Despite the challenging moments, Ms Riley described her jungle experience as “everything I wanted it to be and so much more.”
Lisa Riley with her former Strictly partner, the late Robin Windsor, in 2012
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GETTYAnd since her exit, a number of famous faces have taken to social media to express their support and delight at how well Ms Riley handled her stint Down Under.
“Icon! Legend! The moment!!” former Queen of the Jungle Scarlett Moffatt wrote on Instagram. Reality TV star Charlotte Dawson echoed: “Icon! Obsessed with you.”
Coronation Street legend Brooke Vincent also sang Ms Riley’s praises, commenting on her exit post: “Smashed it my love.”
And Emmerdale co-star Bradley Riches, who’d been overseeing Ms Riley’s social media channels in her absence, penned: “Lisa has left the jungle and she’s done us all so proud!
“She achieved everything she set out to do – even seeing Al in the jungle – and she made it all the way to the TOP 5! Love you, Lisa!
“It’s been a blast running your socials and rallying the troops. You absolutely smashed it! Lisa is gonna take a couple of days to come back to socials- so if it goes quiet it’s because she’s getting back into the real world So that’s me (Bradley) clocking out Bye everyone, love ya!” (sic)