Nath Valvo has revealed he nearly quit I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! over his fallout with Deni Hines.
While the comedian, 42, initially bonded with Deni, 55, in the jungle, things turned sour between them as the singer began to argue with both Nath and Cyrell Paule.
Deni notably told Nath he was “lazy” in front of their other campmates, and Nath was left in tears over her trying to “embarrass” him, with viewers sharing their sympathies.
While Deni later apologised to Nath, she quit the jungle shortly afterwards because of her health, insisting her clashes with campmates were not the reason for her exit.
Speaking exclusively to New Idea after being eliminated from the jungle, Nath has now admitted that he nearly quit the Channel 10 show because of his upset over the fallout.
“I did get very close to walking when it was all going down because it was all so yucky, and I didn’t want that,” he shared.
“I was there to have fun, and I was there to laugh. Deni’s really funny and we were all laughing heaps those first couple of days, we hit it off straight away. I thought that’s the vibe it was going to be, but Deni’s been really honest about how much she struggled with everyone.
“She’s alone a lot, she said, so Deni really struggled, and I think I was someone she took it out on. Maybe I do talk too much, maybe she’s got a point.
“But she didn’t go about it the right way, to be frank. Instead of us just having it out earlier, we let it build over a few days.”
Nath said that watching the show back, it has reminded him of being in high school because he didn’t know what people were saying about him to other campmates.
“It stirred up high school feelings of like who is talking about you, not being invited to a party, that jealousy feeling, or thinking people hate you. It stirred up all these really old, school teenage feelings; it was really weird to go through as a 42-year-old,” he admitted.
Though Nath isn’t in touch with Deni now, he wished her all the best and admitted he has felt a bit “embarrassed” watching the scenes back, saying he realised how “small” the drama was after leaving the jungle.
“Obviously, I want nothing but goodwill towards Deni. I hope we’re all good and happy in our lives,” he continued.
“It’s a bit embarrassing, it’s hard to explain to people – and I know people on reality TV say this a lot – but it’s hard to explain how small your world becomes.”
“You’re cut off from your phones, family, friends, husbands, TV and scrolling, and you can’t escape. So everything becomes really big, so that clash hit me really hard.”
“It did seem really big at the time. I was very emotional and very upset, and I had great campmates who were there for me.”
Nath almost made it all the way to the final on I’m A Celebrity, but was eliminated alongside Cyrell Paule and Rebekah Elmaloglou.
Instead, Luke Bateman, Gary Sweet and Concetta Caristo made the final three.
Read everything we know about Nath below.
Who is Nath Valvo?
Nath Valvo is an Australian stand-up comedian, known for his physical, high-energy comedy.
His career took off on community TV after he decided to make a show with his friends in school.
“Lots of costumes, lots of stupidity,” he told the Star Observer. “This was back in the MySpace days. We even had a MySpace account where we’d upload pictures of our characters and episodes.”
The show then appeared on Channel 31.
“Everyone forgets that before streaming, Channel 31 was a big deal,” he said. “Sure, you had to fiddle with the antenna to get it, but there were only four channels back then. People watched it. To this day, I still get people saying, ‘Hey, I used to watch your show!’”
Then, his debut solo show, Grindr: A Love Story, became so popular in Australia that it also took him overseas.
In 2018, he won the Fringe Weekly Best Comedy Award and scored a Best Newcomer Nomination at the Edinburgh Fringe that same year.
His comedy show, I’m Happy For You, was nominated for Best Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and he was also invited to perform at the Montreal Comedy Festival in 2023.
You might have also seen him on the TV shows, including Just For Laughs Australia, The Project, The Cheap Seats, House of Games, Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Gen, Spicks and Specks, Question Everything, and The 100.
While he is loved for his wit on stage and his social media pages, he told news.com.au that he might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
“Stand-up is a very controlled environment,” he said.
“We plan what we’re gonna do, write what we’re gonna say. So I am very nervous about cameras and microphones 24/7.
“We’ll see if I’m going to annoy people or not, I have no idea.”
Nath was representing Lifeline on IAC.
Is Nath Valvo married?
He is! Nath tied the knot with his husband, Cody, in 2023, and the pair have been together for more than 10 years.
“Happy 3 years of gay marriage, Cody,” he wrote on Instagram to mark his anniversary on January 7. “Being with a solid 10 for 12 years is my most proud achievement. To my fellow 6/6.5’s of the world – be funny and put out heaps. I believe in you!! Xx”
His husband is a prominent feature in his comedy, with Nath joking that relationships are a “goldmine for jokes”.
“I used to think I had to be a trash bag in my 20s to be funny, but now I see the humour in the everyday,” he told the publication. “Of course, I run things by him first—mostly. It’s all fair game in comedy!”
He also spoke to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update about whether they’d start a family, and his desire to rent for the rest of his life.
“We don’t have kids, so we don’t really feel the need or the pressure to find somewhere to get a mortgage,” he said. “Our dog is our kid, but as long as she’s walked, it doesn’t matter where we live.”
Where can I see Nath Valvo perform?
After his journey in the jungle, Nath will perform his show, Homebody, at festivals across Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney, from March to May.
Find out more here.
