[Red Moon]

'Can I come to the zoo and have a cockroach put on my face?' How I'm A Celebrity Esther prepared for the jungle

Esther Rantzen has revealed how she tried to prepare for the terrifying bugs she will confront in I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! by asking zookeepers to let a cockroach crawl over her face.

But London Zoo officials told her it was out of the question, as the ordeal would be far too terrifying. For the cockroach.

The 68-year-old is not the only contestant who took bizarre steps to prepare for the demands of the Australian rainforest.

Star Trek actor George Takei has been eating bull’s testicles in case he has to devour something similarly gruesome during the stomach-churning Bushtucker Trials; presenter Dani Behr has been trying to fatten herself up; and WAG Carly Zucker has been hanging upside-down for hours.

All of which makes Ms Rantzen’s research look almost normal.

She said: ‘I asked the zookeeper to put a cockroach on my face so I could see what it felt like, but he said it would frighten the cockroach.

‘Everything worries me about the Bushtucker Trials. They are torture.

‘I’ve never eaten odd bits of marsupial, but I have eaten my mother’s cooking so that may stand me in good stead.’

London Zoo said Ms Rantzen was allowed to handle a cockroach under supervision, but not to put one on her face because of ‘animal welfare issues’.

One keeper said: ‘We didn’t feel comfortable with it. That show is continually misusing invertebrates.

'Handling insects is fine if it is for the right reasons, but to do it so that she can then expose herself to having them poured over her head is not something we support.’

For this series, which starts on ITV1 at 9pm tonight, an animal welfare expert will be on hand to ensure creatures are not mistreated.

Meanwhile, Mr Takei, 71, admitted: ‘I ate bull’s testicles. They are spongy but now I am prepared if the show wants me to eat kangaroo testicles.

'I assume they would be similar. I’ve even eaten live fish. You pick up a slice with your chopsticks, it flinches and you eat it.’

Miss Behr had a slightly more appetising diet, eating up to three chicken burgers a day to fatten up.

She said: ‘I understand you can lose 20lb out there.’

But not all the celebrities have taken preparations as seriously.

Page 3 model Nicola McLean said: ‘The only preparation I did was get my roots done, my eyelashes tinted, my nails done and a spray tan.’

The celebrities spent their first day in the jungle yesterday, with Mr Takei, Miss Behr, former tennis player Martina Navratilova and ex-police chief Brian Paddick having to parachute into the camp.

Ms Navratilova crossed herself before the jump, but Mr Takei said: ‘Looks like a piece of cake,’ before leaping.

Celebrities were also given a surprise Bushtucker Trial, grabbing stars from a tank full of rats, eels and scorpions.

The contestants have been split into two camps: Home, who live in luxury on a London double-decker bus, and Away, whose beds are made of tarpaulin nailed to the ground near leeches and ticks.

Producer Beth Hart said: ‘The Away camp is rough. We expect at least one star to walk.’

Source: Daily Mail