Ashley Roberts says she is still traumatised as I’m A Celebrity South Africa returns
ashley roberts is back in the spotlight as the all-stars version of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa begins its new run on Monday, 6 April at 9pm ET. The Pussycat Dolls singer has said the jungle experience left her feeling “traumatised, ” and she could not bring herself to watch a clip from a trial. Her return comes as the latest cast heads into a pre-recorded series that will end with a live final in London later in the month.
Ashley Roberts faces the jungle again
Ashley Roberts first appeared on I’m A Celebrity in 2012 and finished second, behind EastEnders actress Charlie Brooks. She has since built a wider career in TV and radio, but the return to South Africa is bringing back the intensity of the show’s toughest moments. The new season is the second all-stars edition and features a cast drawn from previous contestants.
In the opening episode, Ashley Roberts is set to head back into camp as the celebrities take on fresh trials and challenges. The early arrivals will be split into two tiers and go head to head to avoid being sent to a camp with poorer facilities. One of the first tasks is called Tipped Over The Edge, where pairs are strapped back to back and must gather puzzle pieces from a ledge to build a star.
The challenge is designed to punish any hesitation. As the contestants move closer to the edge, the platform tips like a see-saw, and going too far too soon sends them over the edge into the drop below.
Why Ashley Roberts says the experience left a mark
Before the new series began, Ashley Roberts said the intensity of the jungle still affects her. “I’m still traumatised — probably more now than even before, ” she said, adding that she could not watch a clip of a trial when it was shown to her. That reaction underlines just how strongly the experience stayed with her years after her first run on the show.
Ashley Roberts has also spoken about why she agreed to return after previously saying she would never do it again. She described the first call about the legends format as a moment that made her think hard about what she was taking on, but she ultimately said yes.
Ashley Roberts and the wider all-stars lineup
This season’s lineup also includes Adam Thomas, Scarlett Moffatt, Beverley Callard, David Haye, Seann Walsh, Craig Charles, Sir Mo Farah, Gemma Collins, Jimmy Bullard and Harry Redknapp. The show’s return is being framed around the idea of putting familiar faces back into the jungle for another high-pressure run.
Ashley Roberts has said the show changed her life the first time she did it, but this comeback is clearly different: older, more aware, and still unsettled by what the trials demand. That mix of excitement and fear is now part of the story as Ashley Roberts steps back into the jungle and viewers wait to see how far she can go this time.
