Self-confessed “daredevil” Denise Drysdale has always liked pushing her limits – be it jumping out of a plane or trekking through the Himalayas. So taking part in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! should be a piece of cake for the national treasure. And it no doubt will be – unless, that is, Ding Dong is forced to confront her greatest fear.
WATCH: I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here Australia 2024 Trailer
“I’ve told them if you put me with the snakes, you might as well get a coffin and put my body straight into it with the snakes at the same time,” Denise shared with us ahead of being dropped in the South African jungle to join her fellow celebrities.
Snakes aside, Denise promises she’ll be giving the challenges and Bushtucker Trials her all.
“I wouldn’t do [the show] unless I thought I could stay until the end because it’s not fair to the others,” she says. “I’m trying to stretch myself as a person as well, and see what I am capable of.”
For some of the famous faces participating in the show’s 10th season, which includes former ironwoman Candice Warner, ex-AFL player Peter Daicos and child actor Frankie Muniz, going without their devices while in the jungle might prove testing.
But given 75-year-old Denise “doesn’t watch television” or use social media, it’s the simple pleasures that she dreads giving up.
“I have lemons and salt and pepper in my handbag everywhere I go. Just in case,” she admits. “I’ll also miss a roast dinner!
“I love cauliflower cheese, peas, carrots, beans, roast potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potato, roast chicken. The absolute works.”
Of course though, the toughest thing about doing the show is being separated from her beloved Maltese Shih tzu Mr DD. While Denise is away, Mr DD is being cared for by a friend, who had some reservations about the legendary entertainer jetting off to film the popular reality show.
“She said to me, ‘you can’t go on that show, they’re all nasty to one another and you’ll hurt yourself.’ It turned out she was watching Survivor … the wrong show!” Denise reveals with a hearty chuckle. “I’d be dead in 10 minutes on that!”
Having recently notched up 60 years in the entertainment industry, Denise expects there will be a ‘‘younger audience’’ tuning in to the show who wont “know anything about me”. She says that will quickly change and they’ll realise that “what you see is what you get with me”.
Being strong enough to take challenges is a blessing Denise doesn’t take for granted. She says she has been plagued with “so many bloody injuries and sickness” in the last four years.
“I feel great now, but I’m a bit wary of what I do. I would’ve loved to have done I’m A Celebrity in my twenties, but there wasn’t anything like that around then,’’ she tell us.
‘‘But now, some days I feel 25, sometimes I feel 85. I’ll be out of my comfort zone but I’m sure I can cope for three weeks. If I can’t then I’m not worth my salt!”
I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here airs Sunday to Thursday, 7:30pm, on 10 and 10Play.
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