Jennie McAlpine was in tears before entering the I’m A Celebrity jungle.
Leaving her soon to be three-year-old son, Albert, behind was always going to be trial in itself for Coronation Street actress Jennie.
The likeable 33-year-old, who has played Fiz in the top ITV soap since 2001, admitted it was a huge thing for her to decide to go on I’m A Celebrity because she knows how much she is going to miss her toddler son.
“It was emotional saying goodbye to him,” she told the Daily Star newspaper. “So I’ve already cried before I’ve got to the jungle.
“I found it much more difficult than he did.
“I just left him. He was still awake and he was just getting ready for bed, but I left him sat down in the living room where he was playing with his jigsaws, which he loves doing.”
Jennie previously revealed why she signed up despite having to leave her son.
“I lost my Dad earlier this year and that was a big thing,” she explained. “But I knew he would have told me to do it.
He always told me to do stuff and he always encouraged me. He kept saying ‘Give it a go to find out if you are good enough or not’. And so that was a big part of it.”
“I know Albert is going to have an amazing experience as he is coming to Australia with my husband and I. That will be lovely,” the soap star added. “I am feeling excited about it all but also nervous.”
Celebs joining Jennie in the jungle include ex politician and author Stanley Johnson, Youtuber and vlogger Jack Maynard, wife of Jamie Vardy Rebekah Vardy and retired footballer Dennis Wise.
Also on the cast are actor and soap star Jamie Lomas, reality TV star Georgia Toffolo, comedian Shappi Khorsandi, singer and pop star Vanessa White and boxer Amir Khan.
I’m A Celebrity airs nightly on ITV, hosted by Ant and Dec.
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