He may have been crowned King of the Jungle in 2007, commanding a fee of £50,000 and, in his words, “making a fortune” in subsequent job offers.
But actor Christopher Biggins, 75, told the my dirty clothes podcast that the show should take a break now, admitting that it no longer recognizes half of the so-called famous faces that are chosen to appear.
Christopher also said that while he loved his own time on the ITV show, “it’s had its time.”
He said: ‘The show has been wonderful for me. And I look at it now. It’s interesting. I don’t know half the people in it.
‘I mean, I’m a celebrity… Get Me Out of Here is a misnomer. I think they should give her a break somehow because I think she already had her moment.
King of the Jungle Christopher Biggins told the My Dirty Laundry podcast that I’m a Celebrity… “has no famous people and has had its day” after pocketing a £50,000 fee to appear on it.
He won the show in 2007, with Janice Dickinson coming in second place. He said: “She wasn’t a good loser, but she hasn’t done anything since, so I can’t complain.” She was pretty horrible, I can tell you that.
But it’s been absolutely wonderful. Of course Ant and Dec are brilliant.”
He continued: ‘I loved every minute of it. And now people come to me for advice, if they are asked to do it, if they should do it.
‘And I say, you know, the thing is, it’s a wonderful experience. I loved every moment.
‘I went on to make a fortune the next year, after I had won it. So it’s good, but you have to win it to be there.”
And he added: “The only thing about it is that it is very boring because you only see one hour of our 24 hours.” So there are endless scenes of people doing nothing, just lying around trying to make conversation with their boring housemates.
“But if you win it, it’s amazing.” It changes your life, it changes your career, which it certainly did for me. And it was just wonderful.’
Christopher bought a one-bedroom apartment with the money he earned, which he rents out, providing him with a stable income.
He added: “It’s a very, very clever show. I mean, it’s very clever in many ways.
Christopher has had 60 successful years in show business and counts Joan Collins as one of his best friends (pictured together in June 2023).
I mean it puts you in danger. It makes you, what you shouldn’t do is be a character.
‘You must always be yourself because in three weeks you cannot maintain a character. You know, they’ll catch you. And many people get trapped. And it’s amazing how people don’t get it and don’t see it through to the end.’
And one person he couldn’t get along with was Janice Dickinson, 69, who came second on the show.
He said: “I was with the horrible Janice, an American model, and we were the last two to be on the show. “I was convinced she had won and she was convinced she had won too.
‘So when they said, “This year, the KING…” oh, I was, I couldn’t believe they said king, and she was so, she absolutely couldn’t believe it, she left immediately to go back to America. .
“She wasn’t a good loser, but she hasn’t done anything since then, so I can’t complain.” It was pretty horrible, I assure you.
Biggins played a sex-crazed vicar in Poldark – just like you!
He became a household name after starring in the children’s comedy show Rentaghost in the 1970s and 1980s.
And reflecting on some of the strangest moments that took place, he said: “I did things there that I didn’t know I could do physically or mentally and it was just wonderful.”
“You know, I had to eat a kangaroo’s penis and, as I said on the show at the time, ‘I’ve had worse things in my mouth.’
‘And then I had a kangaroo ball and I bit into it and all this liquid exploded in my mouth and I had to chew through the sac, get rid of it, make it go down. And nine months later, I gave birth to a Joey,’ she joked.
Christopher has had a lucrative career starring in Rentaghost, I Claudius, Some Mother Do ‘Av ‘Em and also played a sex-crazed vicar in Poldark.
And although he is financially satisfied, he said, “I think he would be a very good billionaire.” I have a lot of friends who I would help because times are tough and it would be wonderful to be a kind of benefactor to so many people I know.
And it would be wonderful. But I’m, you know, surprised how I’m still here after 60 years in the business.”
Listen to the full interview here or continue @mydirtylaundrypodcast on Instagram or TikTok.
