Rebekah Vardy has been branded a ‘bully’ and ‘disgusting’ by former I’m a Celebrity contestant Iain Lee, who claims he suffered a mental breakdown after appearing on the show with her.
Lee appeared on the reality TV show in 2017 and claimed the WAG made him “f***ing miserable” in the jungle and left him feeling so isolated he was left crying and had to go to therapy.
Vardy has found himself back in the I’m a Celebrity spotlight despite not being a contestant with a scathing newspaper column about the show in which he reignited his war of words with Coleen Rooney, with whom he was locked up. in a notorious defamation trial in 2022.
In a series of scathing comments, Vardy claimed he hoped Rooney would be forced to “eat penis or humility pie” in the jungle before more recently criticizing BBC Radio 1 presenter Dean McCullough for “snuggling” with Rooney in the program in another blistering attack.
Vardy, 42, also branded hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly “two narrow-minded men” and described Coleen as “the gift that keeps on giving” after her canoe capsized during the celebrities’ race to the camp.
Lee, a former broadcaster and comedian, told MailOnline: ‘There are some people who love the notoriety of being loud and obnoxious because it keeps them in the spotlight. I think Rebekah Vardy is one of them.
During her time on I’m A Celebrity in 2017, Rebekah Vardy was accused of ‘bullying’ Iain Lee, who claims he suffered a mental breakdown after appearing on the show with her.
Vardy, seen leaving a hair salon in Leicester this week, has taken aim at I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! features Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in scathing newspaper column
In a still from the show from 2017, Lee is seen breaking down in tears after failing a challenge due to his fear of heights.
‘When I was on the show, she bullied me and led a clique that picked on me. There were two times when I wanted to leave, it was very toxic and dark there. I thought, “I can’t be with these people.” “I don’t watch the show now because of what I experienced.”
Lee claimed that the first words Vardy said to him when he arrived in the jungle, later than the other contestants, were: “I think you’re fucking idiotic.”
And he added: ‘I did a challenge and I won. Ant and Dec then asked me to pick five people who would live in relative luxury for the next five days, while the others wouldn’t.
“I didn’t choose her and that made her angry. She walked up to me, pointed at me and cursed at me. “It was very intimidating and didn’t make me feel very welcome.”
Recalling another occasion when he failed a challenge and burst into tears, he said Vardy told him: “Real men don’t cry.”
Viewers were left horrified by the bullying scandal involving Vardy, Jamie Lomas, Amir Khan and Denis Wise, all accused of victimizing Mr Lee.
He said: ‘They were all a clique and she (Vardy) was leading it. I never received any support from her or her group.’
In another incident, dubbed ‘Strawberrygate’, Lee and boxer Amir won a gift after completing a challenge and both devoured a bowl of strawberries and cream before returning to their campmates.
After Lee broke down in tears and refused to complete a Dingo Dollar challenge due to his crippling fear of heights, Vardy said she would “not tolerate” his behaviour.
Vardy was accused of treating Lee unfairly at the camp and, after leaving the show, doubled down by calling the radio presenter a “fake”.
To add fuel to the fire, Vardy was seen shaking hands with Amir Khan and Dennis Wise on the show Coming Out, as they watched Lee finish in third place.
Khan later convinced them that it was Mr. Lee’s idea to eat them when it was actually his.
Mr Lee said: “That really upset her and she gave me a big telling off.” She was very angry and very unpleasant. All these years later, people mention the strawberry incident to me and how they treated me.’
He revealed that he was so devastated by his treatment at the hands of Vardy that he had to undergo extensive therapy after leaving the show and that his experience prompted him to change careers and retrain as a counsellor.
Lee previously hosted a show on talkRadio and Jack FM.
She now works with victims of bullying and helps those suffering from depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
Lee added: “My experience in the jungle led me to change careers and become a counsellor. I started seeing a great therapist and working through what happened to me. When I left the program I wasn’t feeling well. It sent me into a spiral of depression and anxiety. It really bothered me.
‘I made it known that she (Vardy) made me feel miserable and isolated when I was in the jungle and was a bully, liar and manipulator. But all that is now a thing of the past.
He added: “I’ve been able to make peace with all of this and put into perspective that the behavior directed at me was not my fault.” I just never fit Rebekah Vardy’s idea of a man. I had to go through this process, otherwise it would have eaten me up.”
Speaking on Good Morning Britain after leaving camp, Vardy attempted to defend himself, insisting his words on Extra Camp were “taken out of context”.
During the 2017 series of I’m A Celebrity, Vardy vehemently denied bullying allegations and sobbed as she insisted she had not targeted the broadcaster as part of a gang.
Initially leaving the camp, Lee denied Vardy had harassed him, saying: “There was no harassment.” Let’s put an end to this rumor once and for all. Harassment is very serious
After watching the Coming Out Show, Lee appeared to change his tune towards Vardy, tweeting that he was unaware of comments made “behind his back”.
Vardy denied bullying Mr Lee, stating after leaving the show: ‘You know what? I was the one who supported him the most. A bully? I’ve never been a bully in my entire life.
He also insisted in a subsequent newspaper interview that the claims were “false.”
Vardy added: ‘Edited television has a certain look. I don’t have anything bad to say about him.
But Lee responded to their denials.
He said: ‘She has a sense of entitlement. His attitude is, “You may not like it, but I’m going to say what I think.” But when others try to speak their minds and confront her, she doesn’t like it.
‘You can see that when she left the show, because she seemed very surprised that the comments about her were negative and she was accused of bullying me. This disconcerted her and she became very defensive and tried to shut down any conversation about what she had done.
Vardy was the third campmate eliminated from the show, while Lee stayed until the final day and finished in third place.
He said: ‘When she got sent off, I was very happy. She had a very dark vibe about her. We never got along and she made it very clear that she didn’t like me.
Despite his experience, Lee insists he holds no grudge against Vardy or any of the others accused of bullying him.
He said: “I have no ill feelings towards Vardy, I don’t think about her at all, and having gone through some tough times, I’m really glad I’ve moved on. I’m a celebrity and I’m at peace with what happened.” me.
“But I wouldn’t want to have a coffee with (Vardy) or see her.”
He added: “I could have finished third in the show, but I feel like I won.” I’m enjoying my new life and my new career.’
Asked if he would take on Vardy as a client in his work as a counsellor, he diplomatically replied: “Let’s just say it would be inappropriate and there are some people I wouldn’t work with.”