Inside I’m A Celebrity stars’ tragic pasts from homelessness to family tragedies

I’M A Celebrity star Barry McGuigan moved the entire camp to tears when he opened up about his daughter’s tragic death.

It led more of the campmates to tell of their personal stories that have shaped them into the people they are today. Here we take a look into their emotional pasts from homelessness to family tragedies.

Oti Mabuse

Oti Mabuse says she was left “shattered inside” following the death of her niece Tlhogi at the age of 28.

The former Strictly Come Dancing star struggled with the sudden loss in 2022.

At the time she wrote: “I am so shattered inside I can’t even begin to describe the pain. This is not how this was supposed to go. We had plans together, travel the world and dance on a beach in Jamaica for my birthday.”

Reflecting on their shared childhood, she said: “I used to fetch you everyday from creche, swimming, chess since we were 8. You were only 28 yet the kindest, sweetest human being in my life! I’ve lost my niece, my little sister, my best friend.

“Life dealt you the harshest card but you always chose to win, you always fought to come out the other side above it all with a smile on your face. I love you much with all my heart and now you’re gone and I feel lost in more ways than one to a pain I’ve never felt before.

“I’m still calling you and texting you trying to understand – how? Why? May you rest in peace and power. My sweet Tlhogi.”

On I’m A Celebrity, Oti spoke for the first time about the shock suicide of her brother.

She opened up after McFly’s Danny Jones broke down in tears about struggling with anxiety.

Oti said: “I had a brother who committed suicide when he was 16 and I think, if he had spoken to someone about what he was feeling, it would’ve been a different turnout.”

Oti, who was born in Pretoria in South Africa, explained: “Especially in our culture, we don’t really open up.” 

Barry McGuigan

Barry McGuigan‘s daughter died in July 2019 aged just 33.

Barry broke down about his loss as he told campmates she died five weeks after being told she had bowel cancer.

Dean asked the boxer if he goes to church, to which Barry replied: “I used to go to church a lot but after my daughter… you know, not so much.”

Danika was diagnosed with acute lymphoid leukemia when she was 11-years-old.

Dean revealed: “She had leukaemia, when I was making the boxing with Daniel Day Lewis, three weeks from the end I had to leave because she’d been diagnosed with leukaemia, they thought she wasn’t going to get better but she fought back and she won it.

“She had two years of chemo. She was good, she came back…”

However, another form of cancer returned when she was 33, which took her life.

Barry shared Danika with his wife Sandra.

The married couple are also parents to their three sons Shane, Jake and Blane.

Coleen Rooney

Coleen Rooney‘s little sister died aged 14 after a lifelong battle with the rare brain disorder.

Rosie passed away in 2013 from Rett syndrome, which causes severe disabilities.

Rosie was originally fostered at two years old by Coleen’s parents, Tony and Colette.

They knew she was disabled but it took a few years to realise how serious her condition was.

After Coleen broke down in tears, Dean asked her: “What’s got your feeling so upset?”

Coleen said: “My mum and dad lost my sister so I know exactly what he’s going through.

“That’s so sad for the one family.”

Coleen explained: “I don’t usually get worked up, it takes me a lot, but to see, even when Rosie died, I kept it together for them, my mum and dad.

“It’s when you’re away and in different environment. It’s when you’ve got time to stop and think.

“Rosie’s anniversary is January. She was 14 when she died, she’d be 26 now.”

Dean McCullough

Radio One star Dean McCullough had no fixed address when his parents separated when he was a child.

He ended up sofa-surfing after moving to London as a teenager trying to pursue his dream of working in the West End.

“We weren’t living on the street, we were living on my aunt’s house on a sofa. I was moving between houses on a regular basis.

“I have problems with my possessions and feeling like I need to take care of absolutely everything around me.

“That comes down to moving from house to house and not ever feeling like anything was ever truly mine.”

He also spoke about the instinct to flee at the first sign of trouble, saying: “As soon as I sensed any kind of danger, I’d be straight out of [where I was staying]… for a long time I had no fixed address. I would go out on the Thursday and just stay out all weekend because I just didn’t want to go home.”

As well as homelessness; Dean has spoken honestly about going sober, “Alcoholism runs in my family and I’ve got a lot of friends that have been alcohol dependent so I just thought it was my turn.”

“I looked at my bins in my apartment and it was like, three bottles of red, a bottle of vodka, a bottle of prosecco, I was like ‘who drank that? ‘ Oh it was me.”

Maura Higgins

Love Island star Maura was left devastated by the death of her best friend Andrew Rowan.

He died aged 26 when his motorbike collided with three cars in Co Athlone, Ireland in 2017.

She said she blames herself for what happened hours after she turned down dinner plans.

Maura admitted her regret that she “couldn’t be bothered” to get out of her pyjamas and go out with her pal on that fateful night.

Her grief contributed to the breakdown of her relationship with her father.

The 33-year-old cut contact with her “heartbroken” dad after a “horrendous” phone call.

Maura has two sisters and a brother, born to mum Sharon and lorry driver dad Seamus Higgins.

She told Paul C Brunson, on his podcast We Need To Talk: “It’s kind of weird. We haven’t spoken in a few years now.

“I think if I dig deep, I don’t think I’ve ever forgiven my dad for not being there for me when my best friend passed away. And he wasn’t there for me.”

Reverend Richard Coles

in 2019, Reverend Richard Coles‘ husband Rev David Coles, a Church of England vicar, sadly passed away.

There was limited detail about his death until two years later when the I’m A Celebrity star revealed David had died from alcoholism.

Richard and David had been together for 12 years and were in a a civil partnership.

In an extract from his book The Madness Of Grief: A Memoir Of Love And Loss, Richard, said: “It was really, really tough to see somebody you love destroy himself.

“It is like someone is drowning and you throw them a lifebelt but they are just not taking the lifebelt.

“And I did try everything I could think of to help him stop drinking, and in fairness to him he did try too, but it was too much for him.”

Danny Jones

McFly singer Danny Jones broke down in tears as he told of his 20-year struggle with anxiety.

Danny revealed to his new campmates that he has been in therapy since he was 19 to cope with the health condition.

He has a tattoo that reads “don’t worry, be happy”, explaining: “It’s because I’m always constantly worrying, but that’s what I’m working on.”

It started during a live TV interview when he was a teenager.

“I was freaking out and I couldn’t answer the question that got asked to me,” Danny said.

“My heart rate goes crazy, I went white, and I felt like I was going to puke.”

When asked by Jane if his anxiety stemmed from childhood or the pressures of being in McFly, Danny admitted: “I think I escaped a lot.”

He became overcome with emotion, putting his head in his hands as tears welled up.