It’s that time of year again! The changing season might mean colder weather and darker nights, but it also means the return of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here to the schedules.
The long-running reality series is returning to Australia this year, following two years in Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic, with hosts Ant and Dec back to offer their comedic commentary on the antics in store.
ITV talent Charlene White is one of ten confirmed contestants in the I’m A Celebrity 2022 line-up, having risen to fame on the channel’s news programmes and, more recently, by becoming a regular panellist on daytime show Loose Women.
Here’s your full introduction to the latest I’m A Celebrity campmate.
Who is Charlene White?
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Age: 42
Job: Journalist, newsreader and TV presenter
Instagram: @charlenewhite
Twitter: @CharleneWhite
Hailing from Greenwich, London, White began her ascent to fame as a journalist and broadcaster, working for BBC Look East, Radio 5 Live and BBC London in the early years of her career.
She began working as a newsreader for ITN in 2008, beginning with stints on ITV News at 5:30 and ITV News London, before making history in 2014 by becoming the first Black woman to present the ITV News at Ten.
In summer 2020, she joined the Loose Women for a guest spot and was so well received that she was given a permanent position just five months later, taking the slot previously held by the outgoing Andrea McLean.
Last year, she appeared on Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox as one of the armchair pundits, sharing a sofa with friend and colleague Judi Love.
She also fronted documentary Charlene White: Empire’s Child, which explored the impact of the British Empire on her family history, as well as investigative special with Trevor McDonald about the impact of George Floyd’s death in the UK.
What has Charlene White said about joining I’m A Celebrity 2022?
White said she isn’t sure exactly how she’s going to react to “rodents, spiders and snakes crawling all over me” on account of the fact that she’s never been in such an extreme scenario before.
“I was fine until they mentioned big spiders can crawl all over me when I am asleep which has freaked me out! I can’t stop thinking about it,” she continued.
The journalist and presenter went on to say that she isn’t known for being outdoorsy, so her friends and relatives will be shocked by her decision to sign up to I’m A Celebrity, but she is enthusiastic about getting stuck in.
White said: “There aren’t that many opportunities to have when you get older and it will be nice to see if I can do this. I’ve given birth to two kids in quick succession, survived that and lived to tell the tale! So, I feel it’s now right to take on another big challenge.”
She told press that she could fall into the role of being “mum and cook” for the camp, adding that she enjoys “getting to know” and “consoling” people.
The partner and mother said that being apart from her family will surely be one of the toughest aspects of the experience, saying she will “definitely get teary” at some point during the series.
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“It’s a foregone conclusion,” White said. “I am going to miss our daily routine with the kids, I am going to miss waking up with them and having quiet time before the school run and that’s what is going to get me tearing up. It will be weird.”
Another motivator for taking part in I’m A Celebrity is to show the country that she isn’t only the consummate professional we so often see reading the latest headlines.
“When you work in news, people assume you are one person. I love music, dancing, clubbing and a good box of greasy chicken and chips! I want people to see that I am just a regular girl from South London who reads the news,” explained White.
“Mind you, it’s going to be very strange not being able to find out what is happening in the world. The UK is on a constant cycle of change and by the time I have come out of the camp, we could have had another change of Government or another change of leader!
“Anything could happen in that time and I am going to find it very frustrating. I have a genuine love of current affairs and the first thing I do is check all the papers when I wake up. I will desperately be playing catch up when I come out.”
White concluded by saying that she isn’t expecting to win the competition, but really hopes to stay in until the end: “I would love to be in the final three so I can be alongside whoever is crowned King or Queen. For me, that is the win.”
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here premieres on ITV at 9pm on Sunday 6th November 2022. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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