Jordan North says he was ‘last minute’ REPLACEMENT on I’m A Celeb

Friday’s final episode of I’m A Celebrity 2020 saw the radio host finishing in second place, with Giovanna Fletcher crowned the first-ever Queen of the Castle. 

And on Monday morning, Jordan North revealed he was in fact a last minute addition to the I’m A Celeb line-up after someone dropped out leaving him with 2 days to do everything: ‘It very nearly never happened.’ 

The northern presenter, 30, appeared on BBC Radio One with his friend Greg James, 34, where he got candid about his stint on the ITV show as he admitted it was ‘the toughest three weeks of his life’ and divulged what viewers DIDN’T get to see.

For his first one-on-one interview since leaving camp, Jordan was introduced by his colleague as: ‘Our King Of The Castle… Jordan North!’   

During their chat, the Burnley born star confessed: ‘I was last minute. I got a call to say “maybe next year not this year”, and then I got a call two weeks later saying “do you wanna do it? Someone’s dropped out.”

‘Then I had 2 days to do everything: Medical, photos, psychiatrists etc. 48 hours. It very nearly never happened,’ revealed the radio host. 

Jordan also confessed to worrying a lot while in the castle: ‘Am I gonna have a career at the end of this? It was the best but the toughest three weeks of my life.

Candid: The presenter appeared on BBC Radio One with Greg James, 34, where he got candid about his stint on the show as he admitted it was ‘the toughest three weeks of his life’

Spilling the tea: ‘I was last minute. I call to say “maybe next year not this year”, and then I got a call two weeks later saying “do you wanna do it? Someone’s dropped out”,’ revealed Jordan

Last minute addition: ‘I had 2 days to do everything: Medical, photos, psychiatrists etc. 48 hours. It very nearly never happened,’ revealed the radio host

‘We were freezing, we were starving. I thought the hunger would get better but it got worse. You’re just waiting around. In the jungle you could sunbather but you can’t in Wales. We were so bored.

Touching on his plans ahead of travelling to Wales, he admitted: ‘I had there rules before I went in there: Don’t pick your nose, don’t be swearing, don’t trump – after three days I was doing all three.

‘I don’t know what they’ve shown. After dinner we’d all go outside and all trump. It was the most normal, natural thing ever.’     

Discussing the three-week whirlwind in Wales, and how he survived the myriad of trials and challenges, Jordan explained it was his brother and I’m A Celeb host Declan Donnelly who’s wise words got him through. 

The fear is real: Jordan also confessed to worrying a lot while in the castle: ‘Am I gonna have a career at the end of this? It was the best but the toughest three weeks of my life’

Endurance: ‘We were freezing, we were starving. I thought the hunger would get better but it got worse. You’re just waiting around. In the jungle you could sunbather but you can’t in Wales’

What!? ‘I don’t know what they’ve shown. After dinner we’d all go outside and all trump. It was the most normal, natural thing ever’ said the radio host

He said of his first trial – the Viper Vault – which saw him in a coffin with snakes: ‘So, my brother’s a paratrooper. He knows when I’m like, and he said : “When you’re cold, wet or scared, go to your happy place.”

‘So I’m in this coffin full of snakes and I’m screaming: “Happy place Turf More.” I don’t know if you know but it took me an HOUR to get in Wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for Dec. I went off set.

Jordan explained how Shane Richie attempted to encourage him to do the trial but quipped at him: ‘Shane go away your breath stinks!’

But after Dec told the star to: ‘Breathe,’ Jordan got back in and out of the coffin multiple times. The presenter revealed he’d planned on getting into the coffin and shouting ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’ once the first snake was put in with him. 

Terrified: it took me an HOUR to get in Wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for Dec. I went off set’ said Jordan of his first trial – the Viper Vault – which saw him in a coffin with snakes

Not that close! Jordan explained how Shane Richie attempted to encourage him to do the trial but quipped at him: ‘Shane go away your breath stinks!’

Jordan also confessed how he got emotional when Dec revealed the Happy Place fundraising endeavour undertaken in his name during his I’m A Celeb stint.

The T-shirts made £20,000 for a local Burnley hospice, Pendleside hospice, and the radio star admitted that when Dec detailed the endeavour: ‘I just burst into tears.’    

Divulging secrets of camp, Jordan revealed: ‘In here [I’m A Celeb], before we went in, we got told not to sing anything Queen, Beatles or Disney because we can’t get them cleared. 

‘So if we had a conversation we didn’t want to get heard, we’d get someone in the background singing a song from one of those artists. Don’t know if I’m allowed to say that.’      

Emotional: Jordan also confessed how he got emotional when Dec revealed the Happy Place T-shirts fundraising endeavour undertaken in his name during his I’m A Celeb stint

Cheeky: Divulging secrets of camp, Jordan revealed: ‘In here [I’m A Celeb], before we went in, we got told not to sing anything Queen, Beatles or Disney because we can’t get them cleared’

Elsewhere during their chat, breakfast host Greg enthused: ‘You’ve had a shower!’ to which Jordan responded: ‘I nearly slipped down the plughole I’ve lost so much weight!’

Speaking about his chances on I’m A Celebrity, Greg said he’d believed from the start, that: ‘If he’s lovely calamitous Jordan, he could win this thing.’

‘I’ve not watched it back. I’ve not seen anything!’ admitted Jordan after being played a clip of himself throwing up before the very first challenge – abseiling. 

‘They weren’t even filming, they whipped out the camera and shot it so quickly!’ admitted Jordan.

He explained: ‘They’d just been to have lunch beforehand. We had Lancashire hotpot and biscuits. I had a quick look over the edge and I just went dizzy, and I’m sick over the edge.’     

Joker: Elsewhere during their chat, breakfast host Greg enthused: ‘You’ve had a shower!’ to which Jordan responded: ‘I nearly slipped down the plughole I’ve lost so much weight!’

THAT moment: ‘They weren’t even filming, they whipped out the camera and shot it so quickly! They’d just been to have lunch beforehand. We had Lancashire hotpot and biscuits’ said Jordan

‘I want to take it back to Friday night,’ said Greg, before stating: ‘I was furious. Giovanna was a worthy winner, but we were so invested. I was just convinced it was gonna be you!’

He then played Jordan the clip of him losing, with disappointed reactions from fans, to which the I’m A Celeb runner-up admitted: ‘Aww that’s so sweet.’  

Jordan couldn’t believe it when he was played highlights from the show mixed in with some of the TV and radio press coverage, including ITV News and Gogglebox.

‘I watched Gogglebox last night because it’s my favourite show, and Mary and Giles went: ‘Is Turf More a hotel?’ referring to Burnley Football Club’s ground, and Jordan’s ‘Happy Place.’  

Fan favourite: Greg then played Jordan the clip of him losing, with disappointed reactions from fans, to which the I’m A Celeb runner-up admitted: ‘Aww that’s so sweet’

Jordan admitted when he knew things were going to be different for him after leaving the camp. 

He explained: ‘My phone was going off and my agent phoned be and the driver from the studio was like “you need to get your head down there’s loads of paps following us.”

I asked the driver: “Am I alright to go the service station? I need to go for a wee.” As I left the toilet there was a queue, so I joined the queue thinking it was the queue to get out of the service station.

‘And a woman turned around and said: ‘The queue is for you,’ so I was in my own queue.’

The I’m A Celeb star then took photos with fans outside the toilets, yelling: ‘Two meters. Sorry I can’t hug you. And they were shouting: ‘Happy place!’ so I knew I was alright. People didn’t hate me and I’d have a job to go back to,’ admitted Jordan.   

Queing in his own queue: Jordan admitted when he knew things were going to be different for him after leaving the camp, with paps and fans queuing for photographs

Future plans: In a sweet moment, Jordan said: ‘And it [I’m A Celeb] changed my life. There’s so many things I wanna do in this next year. I don’t wanna live in this safe lane anymore’

Chatting plans for the future he and Greg discussed having his kitchen floor re-done, to which Jordan joked: ‘I weren’t on Shane Richie’s fees.’

He also revealed how his friendship with the I’m A Celeb host has transitioned from on-screen to off-screen. 

‘Ant and Dec said to me: “We’ll have to meet for a Guiness and they’ve booked me for Saturday Night TakeAway – what is happening?’ 

‘I cringed, when I heard myself saying: “You’ve done well for yourself, lads!” like they need some lad from Burnley to tell them that,’ confessed Jordan. 

Jordan also announced spur-of the moment plans to do a workout DVD with Beverley Callard, when suggested by Grimmy: ‘Why not?’ 

In a sweet moment, Jordan said: ‘And it [I’m A Celeb] changed my life. There’s so many things I wanna do in this next year. I don’t wanna live in this safe lane anymore.’