SINGER Tulisa Contostavlos panicked her friends by going into hiding after her exit from I’m A Celebrity.
Fans of the show were also baffled when the singer deleted all of her social media content about her time in the jungle.
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Insiders said that after arriving at the upmarket JW Marriott Hotel on Australia’s Gold Coast, Tulisa went into radio silence — leaving her friends in the UK panicking.
A source said: “Tulisa and the two friends who came to Australia with her disappeared after she came out.
“No one saw her in the hotel and she wasn’t talking to anyone.
“Her mates were talking among themselves and were worried as no one could pin her down.
“They were chatting back and forth in their group chats and no one could raise her. It was total radio silence.”
Insiders said Tulisa had not been seen at the Marriott since she returned on Monday.
She was in high spirits when she got back and was greeted by Sun columnist Jane Moore and radio DJ Dean McCullough — who both left the ITV show before her.
When BBC radio host Melvin Odoom became the fourth star to leave camp, Tulisa was notably absent from his welcome reception in the hotel.
A source added: “Not having Tulisa at the hotel with the other stars has been odd, and people don’t know whether or not she’ll be back to film the reunion.
“Naturally everyone just wants her to be all right and ITV and her campmates are being supportive.”
Tonight it was reported that Tulisa had a “screaming row” with her best pal Michelle McKenna after leaving the jungle.
It was claimed that Tulisa was livid about the way Michelle had looked after her Instagram page while she was in camp.
And she was said to be upset by the photo Michelle had uploaded of her having a free, slap-up dinner with her partner Daniel Johnson.
Yesterday Tulisa, 36, broke her silence and updated her fans, telling them she needed a break.
She said in a video posted online: “When I came out of the jungle, I felt fine first of all and then that evening my friends went to bed.
“I just started to feel overwhelmed. I thought, ‘Do you know what, I really need to take a bit of time for me and just chill.’”
The N-Dubz singer added: “You know, it’s okay to feel a little bit overwhelmed. I’ve been out of the spotlight for a long time.
“I’m still trying to overcome those things. I’ve still got my little demons. It doesn’t mean I’m going to go hide under a rock for ten years.
“It means I just need a little bit of time to process and get right with my thoughts.”
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Tulisa also cleared up comments she made on ITV’s Lorraine after her exit — where she said she had made friends for life but hinted some campmates were not genuine.
She said: “I want to clarify I don’t think any of my campmates are fake. I was talking with Lorraine and what I was trying to say was typical me, thinking out loud.
“Everyone in there is going to have one or two individuals that they are way more close with than others.
“When we get out is when you are really going to see those friendships get nurtured.
“I’m friends with everyone. I love my jungle buddies. But there are going to be friendships that people have that become friends for life.”
Speaking to Ant and Dec about her jungle experience, Tulisa said: “It doesn’t feel real. I just think I’ll be so much more grateful for everything.
“It makes you appreciative. You don’t realise how good you’ve got it.
“It can be testing. It is tough in there so leaving is still a happy thing, I’m not going to lie.”
I’m A Celebrity 2024
i’m A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun’s Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year..
Coleen Rooney – Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney, has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever.
Tulisa – The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year’s I’m A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal.
Alan Halsall – The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities.
Melvin Odoom – The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet – the Aussie jungle.
GK Barry – The UK’s biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers.
Dean McCullough – A rising star amongst this year’s bunch of celebs, Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live.
Oti Mabuse – The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV’s Dancing On Ice.
Danny Jones – The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle, after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he’s now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice, along with bandmate Tom Fletcher.
Jane Moore – The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge – having recently split from her husband. It will be Jane’s first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past.
Barry McGuigan – Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer. He told The Late Late Show in 2021: “She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache.”
Maura Higgins – The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard. Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year.
Rev. Richard Coles – Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity, and he’s ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star, said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: “Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth.”