From zero to hero! Helen Flanagan passes sixth Bushtucker Trial with ease and wins twelve meals for her hungry campmates
By EMMA GRITT
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Earlier today, Helen Flanagan's grandad revealed she rarely ventures in to the garden, so it was no surprise she was floundering in the Australian jungle.
Similarly, her parents proclaimed that the Coronation Street actress is so afraid of the dark she can't sleep unless one of her Harry Potter DVDs is playing in the background.
But tonight, as Helen and her eleven campmates tuck in to a meal each after she successfully completed her sixth Bushtucker Trial, it's safe to assume her family in Manchester will be eating a big plate of words - with humble pie for pudding.
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She did it! Helen Flanagan finally got stuck in to a Bushtucker Trial and won the maximum twelve stars
When Helen woke up this morning she could have taken the mindset of 'another day another Bushtucker Trial', but something - perhaps the low morale of camp or the rumbling of twelve tummies - caused her to awake to a brand new mindset.
She had been selected by the public to participate in Deadly Delivery, her sixth Bushtucker Trial.
In the previous five she had not managed to win a single star, and while her celebrity campmates had initially been sympathetic, it seemed their patience was wearing thin.
Bugged out: Helen had to grab stars from the clutches of creepy crawlies
Smash and crab: Helen was very brave, sticking her head in to boxes of different creatures to grab stars
They each took a chance to motivate her ahead of her heading off for the unknown challenge in the forest.
Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts said: 'You’ve eaten crap, you’ve been in the darkness, you’ve seen an ostrich, you’ve had bugs on you, you’ve seen rats.'
Hugo Taylor joined in to add: 'If you come back to camp and say that you’ve failed then everyone will kick off. You can’t freeze.'
Later, the Made In Chelsea star spoke openly in the Bush Telegraph about his frustrations at the soap actress' squeamishness.
He said: 'In the first couple of days it was Helen ooh, are you OK poor princess?
'I mean it’s rubbish. To motivate someone, if being nice and softly softly doesn’t work then you’ve got to nail it into them.'
David Haye, no stranger to facing huge challenges in his day job as a professional boxer, asked her if she was feeling the pressure.
'Are you feeling the pressure today more that ever?' he asked.
'I’m having palpitations.' she responded.
'Good, it didn’t really matter before. Now we’re hungry,' he said.
'We’re really hungry now.' piped up politician Nadine Dorries.
Eat up! The actress had to grab different stars with her teeth so she could win meals to take back to camp
Steamy window: Helen looked terrified at points, as she was concentrated on the task
Go get it: Helen can be seen grabbing at a yellow plastic star using her mouth as task attendants look on
Before leaving, Helen took the chance to give an impromptu speech to her ravenous peers.
She said: 'Can I just say to everyone, I’ve got no choice today. I’ve got to go in there and get all the stars no matter what I’ve got to do.'
It was a rousing delivery, causing Rosemary Shrager to call out, 'Great attitude!'
Eric Bristow was equally impressed, and gave her some extra advice.
He said, 'In your head when you go in there, you think of somebody in here that you like the best, think that first star that’s for him or her. And then the second, think of someone else, that’s for them.'
Speaking about the task ahead in the Bush Telegraph, the 22-year old actress said she understood the brevity of the task at hand.
'I’ve never felt this much pressure before, ever, and I think the motivation is my campmates as well because there’s been a different aura.
Gotcha! Helen prepares to bring the star out of the box to add to her meal quota
Stiff upper lip: Helen looked like she was close to tears as a cockroach perched precariously on her pout
'Everyone’s like no, go. Come on. We’re all starving. Everyone in the camp is really hungry. These people are my friends and I care about them because I’ve become close to them in the camp and when you’re here, that is all you’ve got.
'No matter what they’re doing to me I have to do it.'
Charlie Brooks, best known as Janine in Eastenders, was confident the change of tact was a good idea.
She said: 'Tough love you know. They say that works with young teenagers so we’ve all shown her a bit of tough love today and hopefully she’s come back with the stars.
'She’s 22. She’s not a baby. In actual fact she’s got to go out and nail this today. She’s got to think about the team. She’s got to because everyone’s starving now.'
Task at hand: Helen impressed everyone with her gung-ho attitude to the Bushtucker Trial
Sixth time lucky: Helen completed the Deadly Deliveries Bushtucker Trial
The task ahead: Ant and Dec look on as Helen prepares to take part in her sixth trial in a row
When the time came for Helen to leave camp she declined offers of affection.
'Don’t kiss me or anything like that. I’ve just got to go.'
The change in attitude impressed David. He said: 'She didn’t want to say goodbye to anyone. She didn’t want any hugs; she didn’t want any fanfare. If she’s ever going to do it, she’s walked out with the right mind set today. She knows what’s at stake.'
The walk to the task area was heavy with anticipation, and the nervous star was accompanied by Limahl and Charlie, who told her, 'you need to get a grip. Get in there. Just do it.'
Before meeting Ant and Dec, Helen turned to her two friends and said: 'I just really want this. I really want the camp to be proud of me, you know and get a really nice dinner tonight.
'I want to get 12 stars. I really really want this. I’m determined not to be scared and determined to do it.'
Dec was quick to see how Helen was feeling when she got to the trial area. 'Feeling good?' he asked.
'I want to win. I want to win 12. I’m determined.
Elation: Helen couldn't believe she managed to complete the task
Tears of joy: Helen looked dishevelled but happy as her success sank in
'I’ve got to do this. There is so much pressure from the camp. Everybody’s really hungry and I just want to win for myself now.'
'Have they piled the pressure on,' asked Dec.
'Yeah, I suppose,' she answered. 'Basically we’re all starving in the camp. I just want to win the stars and get it over and done with. Let’s do it. I have a total block yesterday but I’ve got myself together and I’m alright. I just want to do it.'
She was also adamant that she would not return to camp empty handed.
'I think they’re be pretty angry if you did do that,' quipped Ant.
The Deadly Delivery Trial required Helen to put her head in a Perspex box whilst simultaneously manoeuvring a star across a maze.
Give yourself a clap: Helen was so happy to tell her hungry camp mates that they would be eating
Congrats babes: Nadine Dorries warmly embraces Helen when she returned to camp
When she reached other end, she had to pull a star out of the box with her teeth, which would earn her two stars for each box.
All she had to do was put her squeamishness to one side and tackle the array of jungle critters that were guarding the stars in each box.
The first box contained mixed lizards, and Helen gingerly moved the star across the maze and pulled the other out of the box with her teeth.
'I absolutely sh*t myself!' she exclaimed as she realised she had earned two stars. 'Guys I’m so happy!'
The next box wasn't as cute, and contained a cocktail of scorpions, crickets, cockroaches and millipedes.
Proud of herself: Helen looked pleased as punch when she returned to camp with twelve meals
'I do not want to know what is in it,' she told the Geordie duo as she moved the star across the course and won two more stars.
The third box is where she was most likely to come a cropper as she was faced with a box of spiders.
'Oh My God I f*cking hate spiders!' she said, as she stuck her head in and successfully retrieved two more stars.
'Oh My God I f*cking hate spiders!' she said, as she stuck her head in and successfully retrieved two more stars.
After dealing with the eight legged foes, she was relieved to see a pulsating mass of soldier crabs, even when Dec told her they might nip her face with their sharp claws.
The now elated contestant escaped without harm - but a crab did try to get inside her goggles.
But, instead of crying, she laughed, 'how the hell did I get eight stars?'
The penultimate box was filled with 10,000 cockroaches which crawled over her face and hair, and even managed to make their way out of the box and over the top half of her body.
By the time she was at the last box, complete with five carpet pythons, Ant and Dec couldn't believe this was the same girl who had thrown a series of hissy fits over the past five tasks.
As she realised she had earned twelve stars, there were hugs all round for the delighted actress and the gobsmacked Ant and Dec.
Great work! Nadine Dorries, David Haye, Brian Conley, Ashley Roberts and Rosemary Shrager congratulate her
Slithering challenge: Helen was faced with five snakes in the last box of the task
'I can’t believe I got 12. Oh my God, this is ridiculous, I’m just so happy.
'Honestly I’ve never been so happy. I’m just really really thrilled I was able to get that. It’s so stupid.
Honestly I can’t tell you how scared I was and just feel really proud of myself and I felt really proud and happy. My campmates will be so happy and I can’t wait to go back,' she cried.
Meanwhile in camp, discussions were taking place about how many stars Helen might get, with Eric dismissing her with a grunted 'none'.
Ashley was slightly kinder, predicting three, but David was more positive.
'There was a little difference to her today though,' he mused.
Charlie added: 'She knows if she doesn’t do it today people are going to get really pissed off.'
But, there was no need for anger, and as Helen ran in shouting, 'I got 12!', the camp all cheered in in amazement.
'We’re going to have a feast' she continued, as she imagined the camp gorging on wallaby meat in just a few hour's time.
Reptile gang: The actress looked freaked out as she tried to gear herself up to grab the star with her teeth
Down and dirty: Helen was frustratign viewers, producers and her peers with her refusal to do the tasks
David admitted: 'I couldn’t believe it, everybody was dumbfounded. Nobody could understand how or why. Everybody was shocked.'
Doctor Who star Colin Baker was also pleased, and was certain that the food would help boost morale in more ways than one.
'It’s perked us all up. It means we’re going to be busy this evening because we’re all going to be chopping, scrapping, preparing and peeling.
'Obeying the mighty Rosemary who I’m on record as saying I adore. I think she’s the best thing to happen to this jungle.'
Helen's amazing achievement even raised a smile from Eric, who said: 'I’m taken aback.'
and then he even joined in with the group sing a long of 'Congratulations'.
VIDEO: Helen's Deadly Deliveries Trial... for more click here...
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/celebrity/article-2234843/Im-A-Celebrity-Get-Me-Out-Of-Here-2012-Helen-Flanagan-passes-sixth-Bushtucker-Trial.html#ixzz2CfdVckPs
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