Hollyoaks legend Nick Pickard gave up booze before entering the I'm A Celebrity.. Get Me Out of Here! camp.
The soap legend, 48, is one of the 10 contestants battling it out to become King or Queen of the Jungle and will take on a series of Bushtucker Trials during his time in the jungle. He's incredibly excited about the prospect of taking part in some of the famous challenges but he knows it’s going to be tough sticking to a strict diet of rice and beans and one of the reason why he's stuck to a very healthy diet in the run up to the show.
"I have not had a drink for five weeks," he revealed before heading to camp. "I was doing the stop October drinking challenge anyway and I have stuck to it since. It is going to be hard on the food front though. I will be the person saying: 'Have you finished?' When we eat, I will hoover any of the leftovers up! Mind you, I don’t think anyone will be leaving anything I am determined to embrace everything about this show and I don’t want to come out and people moan about 'that Pickard'."
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Although he has never lived in a camp with strangers before, he’s looking forward to getting to know his fellow celebrities and hopes to lend a helping hand with any jobs. “I’m a grafter,” Nick added. "I'm really into my football and so it would be great if someone like Fergie [Alex Ferguson] was in there! I loved it when Harry Redknapp took part. I love listening to their stories."
Nick also said he thinks his Hollyoaks co-stars will also love the fact he is taking part in the show. He said: "I know they will be rooting for me when they find out. This is going into the unknown and yes, I will miss my home comforts but I want to come away not thinking 'What have I missed?' but a greater appreciation for what you do have in life."
In 2017, Nick won the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement and he is the first to admit it would be the icing on the cake should he walk away as winner of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! He says: “To win would be fantastic as the public have voted for you and it means you have done something right! It would be the icing on the cake, but this is going to be such a rewarding experience. It’s a win, win.”
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Although he's taking time off playing Tony Hutchinson to go to appear on I'm A Celeb, Nick has confirmed that he's not quit Hollyoaks. He explained: ""This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and as soon as I was approached, I said 'Yes'. "I am not quitting Hollyoaks to take part. My bosses have been really supportive of me doing it. Now it is getting near to going into camp, I am so excited."
I'm A Celebrity.. Get Me Out of Here! returns to ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday, November 19 at 9pm
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