I’m A Celebrity.. South Africa star Paul Burrell breaks down in tears as he credits show for saving his life
I’M A Celebrity.. South Africa star Paul Burrell has broken down in tears as he praised the ITV show for saving his life.
Princess Diana’s former butler, 64, discovered he had prostate cancer while having a health screening to take part in the show.
He’d been asked back for the 20th anniversary special with some of the jungle’s most entertaining stars.
Few can forget his understandable meltdown in 2004 as he gurned his way through the Bushtucker Trials, trying to grab meal tokens from inside holes filled with rats and bugs.
So after being approached by bosses for a second stint, Paul had an MOT to ensure he was fit for the show.
“And out of that came a surprisingly high PSA (prostate-specific antigen),” Paul told Lorraine Kelly.
“I had no idea what a PSA test was. Apparently it is a chemical that is released by your prostate gland.
“So, I went to my GP and he said this is unusual, he examined me and said, ‘you look to be fairly normal.
“So he sent me for an MRI scan and of course that was the window.”
Speaking on the breakfast show today, Paul became overwhelmed with emotion as he paid tribute to I’m A Celeb.
“I am so grateful to ITV for picking me to do the jungle because without that I would still be sat here today not knowing I had cancer growing inside of me,” Paul said with tears in his eyes.
“My journey is a happy one.
“I’m tired. I’ve go five more sessions of radiotherapy to go.
“I’m very emotional as you can see.
“I’m looking forward to getting to the end of it so I can go on a little break with Graham and just be thankful that it’s been found.
“In a few months time I’ll find out if it’s clear or not and then get on with the rest of my life. There’s a lot to live for.”
In the UK around one in eight men will get the illness in their lifetime and more than 47,000 men are diagnosed with the condition each year in England, Prostate Cancer UK states.
Paul, who was the runner-up in 2004, said of doing I’m A Celeb again: “I loved doing it the first time around and to be asked again is very special. It’s like coming into the final of the jungle Olympics.
“I had to eat kangaroo testicles in Australia and I am expecting everything to be bigger in South Africa.”