IT’S AN iconic, integral part of I’m A Celebrity that has the power to spark national conversation, boost profiles and even turn some stars into millionaires.
Yes, I’m talking about the jungle shower scene. But I feel there is a dark side to this reality TV moment – and it says a lot about the state of women’s bodies in 2025.
Myleene Klass’ white bikini moment – with those flawless washboard abs – was the first to gain notoriety after it aired back in 2006.
She previously told me that ‘The Myleene Effect’ means she sells a bikini every 45 seconds and that her swimwear line has made her millions.
Over the years, a host of stars, including Emily Atack, Kate Garraway, Vicky Pattison, Carol Vorderman, Gemma Collins, Lady Colin Campbell and Vanessa White have all had their moment under the freezing cold waterfall.
And while it might sound a bit pervy to get excited about women stripping off, I feel the importance of this particular TV moment is not to be underestimated.
‘The Myleene Effect’
The jungle shower gives viewers – especially young, impressionable female ones – a chance to see a range of women’s bodies in all their natural, unfiltered glory – something I feel is happening less on screen and social media.
It’s an unpalatable truth, but do we even know what women without a load of AI-generated help even look like now?
I scroll through TikTok and Instagram and I’m constantly bombarded with impossibly flat stomachs, pert bums, gravity-defying boobs and flawless perfection that is impossible to achieve.
The average dress size in Britain for women is a size 16 but it’s getting harder to find ‘curvy and proud’ stars.
And the growing rise of fat jabs – it’s estimated that 1.5m to 2.5m Brits are using them – means celebrities are shrinking faster than ever.
But with I’m A Celebrity we see women of all shapes, sizes and ages stripped back and it is so refreshing – and a stark wake-up call.
Cellulite, mum tums, stretch marks, random moles… there’s nowhere for them to hide and we can see it all.
And, it’s all normal and beautiful.
Kelly Brook, 46, was the first campmate to brave the icy water this series in a monochrome swimsuit.
She was cruelly trolled for having the audacity to age and gain weight, but she has previously told me: “Some of the skinniest times in my life have been my most miserable. When I lost my dad in 2007 I was 8 1/2st. I would not want to be in that place again.”
‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it’
It was fantastic to see her look sexy and confident as she showered alongside Shona McGarty, Lisa Riley and Ruby Wax.
Ruby, 72, previously told her social media followers, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it” while posting a video of her in a one-piece swimsuit going cold water swimming.
And it’s not just seeing normal bodies on screen that is refreshing – it’s seeing them without make-up and good lighting, too.
Not to mention more transparency about the fact celebrities DO have work done to look that good.
Vogue Williams opened up to Ruby Wax about how she has “loads of Botox” as well as permanent lip liner.
When asked by Ruby how her lips look so plump, the Irish TV presenter, 40 said: “It’s permanent lip liner. I got it ages ago. It’s f**king sore but it’s lasted ages.
“It’s a bit spicy when you are getting it done. But I don’t get anything done unless it’s a bit spicy. If there’s downtime, I’m like ‘great’. I’ve had loads of Botox.
‘I’ve had loads of Botox’
“I’ve got this Botox woman in Ireland. She’s got a waiting list for two years and I went to see her and she was like ‘one there, one there, one there, one there, like under there, under there’.
“And I walk out and think ‘I’m gonna look mental’ and a week later I looked at myself and I was like ‘Who’s that pretty girl?’
Ruby replied: “I’ve got a lot of that [Botox] too. My face is like three inches behind this and then it puffs out.
“There’s somebody pulling the back of my head as we speak.
I’m A Celebrity 2025 FULL line-up
I’m A Celebrity is returning to ITV with Ant and Dec back as hosts.
Here are the stars taking part in the new series:
“I’ve had little things removed and things lifted. And I said to Jennifer Saunders once ‘You know what’s great is you can’t notice it.’ And she went ‘Are you kidding? Of course you can’.”
In my role as Assistant Editor at Fabulous Magazine, I spend all day around beautiful celebrities and it often makes me feel down on myself – they do appear other worldly.
And I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels like that – teenage girls beat themselves about their appearances online.
It’s often worth remembering they have a whole team of people whose job it is to make them look incredible.
And while the majority are blessed with some very good genes, seeing them in the jungle without their glam squad is quite refreshing and a healthy reminder that we shouldn’t all be so hard on ourselves about how we look or our bodies.
