I’m A Celebrity is nearing its end, and we’re certain that the final two ladies around the campfire will have be missing one thing desperately by now. No, not regular family life – their beauty regimes! Super-WAG Coleen Rooney and former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse have now had nearly three weeks apart from their makeup bags, and while they've looked beautiful bare-faced we bet these potential Queens of the Jungle will be happy to be reunited with their beauty must-haves.
The ITV1 show is one of the toughest challenges for any celebrity, but particularly for those who are terrified of life without the comfort blanket of cosmetics and pampering luxuries. And if you think it’s all a show for the cameras, and there’s really a secret stash of Molton Brown body wash behind the Bush Telegraph, think again. The show’s beauty rules are surprisingly strict, with celebrities stripped back to the very bare minimum during their time in camp.
Which beauty products can campmates have?
Not a lot, according to 2016 contestant Lisa Snowdon, who shared exactly which basics are dished out to campmates as they go into the jungle. The rather meagre list includes a generic body lotion, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, a toothbrush and tea tree toothpaste. Deodorant is also allowed, but it’s considered a bit of a treat – deodorant was banned in season one! Campmates can also keep themself spruced up for the infamous jungle shower sessions. When asked about shaving, Lisa said: “Yes, yes, yes. You can shave. You get a shaving stick and a razor, so you get the basics.”
Can’t they smuggle things in?
Contestants can and do try, but any contraband tends to be quickly spotted and confiscated. It isn’t even the posh stuff that celebrities try to sneak past security; one year, campmates got their knuckles rapped over a humble pot of Vaseline.
What about luxury items?
While celebrities can pick beauty products as their luxury item, there’s no guarantee of getting their hands on them, as they’re often held back as rewards or prizes. With hindsight, actress Helen Flanagan might have wished her luxury item – fake tan – had been withheld during her time on the 2012 series. The actress became the butt of jokes after she became steadily more orange day by day, and appeared in the jungle shower sporting unflattering tangerine streaks. Her fellow campmate Charlie Brooks said: “It does look a little bit ridiculous. She looked like an Oompa-Loompa.” Oh dear.
What about hair and makeup?
Jungle life is all about going back to basics. This came as a nasty shock to 2019 alumni Caitlyn Jenner who gasped: “No! We don’t get hair and make-up? Oh my god!” on hearing the news. Braids, hats, plaits and ponytails are popular ways to handle the problem of hammock hair plus humidity, but not all hairstyles are as jungle-friendly. GK Barry may already be regretting entering camp with lengthy hair extensions after they became waterlogged and crawling with critters during her trials. Cue much shrieking (of course).
Makeup is strictly banned in the jungle, unless there are special circumstances. Made In Chelsea favourite Georgia Toffolo (aka Toff), who became Queen of The Jungle in 2017, shared that she was granted special permission to enter with makeup, so she could cover up her severe acne.
“When producers told me it was banned I broke down in tears and said, ‘I can’t do this,” she revealed after the show. “I’ve been on strong tablets for six months trying to get rid of [the spots]. So show bosses agreed that, because it was a medical problem, I was allowed to put foundation on once a day in the morning.” Fair enough.
