Network Ten
From meeting a fellow medium in John Edward to chewing her way through 13 tucker trials, Real Housewives of Melbourne star Jackie Gillies tells WHO she made the most out of her jungle experience on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
WHO: You prepared physically to be in the jungle, but did you prepare mentally?
JACKIE GILLIES: Absolutely not. When I went to the doctor, he said, “Jackie, the best thing for you to start doing right now is to put on some weight.” So I put on 5 to 6 kilos because I knew I was going on the show even as I was taping the Real Housewives of Melbourne reunion. People were like, “Is she pregnant?” I’m like, “No, I know I’m going into the jungle and there’s going to be no food.” Second, mentally I wasn’t prepared for the hunger and the lack of food. The third thing is I wasn’t prepared for were the confined spaces and where I was actually showering. That to me was like, “Is there any privacy here? I don’t see any doors!” I thought I was prepared, but I wasn’t.
” class=”wp-image-1023790″ style=”width:682px;”/>WHO: Did you lose the weight during the show?
JACKIE GILLIES: I’m back to my pre-weight. I lost 6 kilos and an extra kilo.
WHO: Now what was it like to meet John Edward, someone who understands where you’re coming from?
JACKIE GILLIES: Oh, I was so excited to see John Edward and what’s really interesting is I receive psychic information all the time. A year ago, I said to my mother, “I’m going to meet John Edward.” And when he popped out of the box, I just laughed. It’s like, “I’ve been waiting for you, baby!” I gave him a big hug. I was really excited to see him and after all of the readings, he said to me, “I didn’t know anybody who was coming in other than there was another psychic, which was you, Jackie,” and he said the next time he’s in Australia, let’s tee it up where I give him a psychic reading. Let’s see what happens.
WHO: You ended up giving $25,000 to your designated charity, the Moira Kelly Creating Hope Foundation. Why?
JACKIE GILLIES: Oh listen, I don’t want to cry, but that’s one of the biggest reasons I went into I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. Moira Kelly, to me, is really next-level in the sense that I think she’s the closest thing to saint whom I’ve ever met. It takes a very special woman to look after these children with various diseases and disabilities, and some of these children won’t live past a certain age, but what she tries to do is give these children a second chance. The donation I made was because I wanted people to donate to the cause and I wanted to raise as much attention to her charity as I could because I never tell anybody what I give to charity, because that’s not why I do it, but I did come into the jungle for that.
WHO: Someone who has backed you and praised you throughout your time in the jungle is your husband Ben, who even confessed to smelling your shirts while you were gone.
JACKIE GILLIES: I thank the universe and God every day for the man that I’ve married. I prayed for Ben for four years and when the universe showed me Ben and brought us together, there’s no day that goes by that I don’t feel blessed for the continued love and support that Ben has given me in anything and everything that I do, from the Housewives of Melbourne, that he really kind of didn’t want me to do, but he said, “Babe, if you’re happy, then I’ll be happy,” and Ben has supported me in everything that I’ve done and there’s no words for expressing the love and the gratitude that I have for Ben. It just reflects and shows you the type of man that he is and how blessed I am. He was rooting for me all the way through.
WHO: He also voted for you for all the tucker trials. Is that a strange way to show love?
JACKIE GILLIES: Do you know what? I think Ben really loved my reactions and seeing what I was doing, and because of Moira Kelly and the children, they are like family to Ben and I, and I knew the children were watching every night, you know, so I think that was a good thing for them to see, like, “Look! There’s Jackie!” They make my heart sing. I heard, “Oh, Jackie’s only being voted in because the Australian public doesn’t like her, and that kind of affected me a little bit and I was like, “You know what? I don’t care. If I can make those kids laugh, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. Thanks, baby.” And you know, I’ve watched some of it back and oh my God, what a pisser! I actually look hilarious in some of these trials!
WHO: Speaking of children, you’ve also said going through this has made you think of having kids. Are you on the case right when you return home?
JACKIE GILLIES: I am getting right on it. I always knew I wanted kids but as I’m laying there in the jungle, I don’t want to miss the experience of having children. I want to be a mother, I want to give Ben a beautiful child, I want to give myself a child and I want to experience that with my soulmate and the love of my life and hopefully God and the universe will bless Ben and I with a child and when I get home, mate, I’m straight on that!
WHO: Watching from the comfort of your hotel room, who do you want to see take this show out?
JACKIE: I would love to see Nollsie or Simone or Fiona win. You know, what I will say is that yesterday, on live TV, somebody asked me who I would like to see King of the Jungle and I said Peter. Then, you know, I heard when I came out of the jungle, I was very disappointed in Peter calling me “bitchface,” and I was in a bit of shock-horror because I don’t know where that came from. But that disappointed me, and Danny calling me “unintelligent” too. That disappointed me. I wish they just tried talking to me to resolve whatever issues they had. It is what it is and I will say that Nollsie is very well deserving of the crown. I think Simone is deserving and I think Fiona is deserving. I think Nollsie has amplified in the show his true character. He’s a generous man, and I also feel he’s done the hard yards and he’s true Aussie Ocker, and I’d love to see him or Simone or Fiona win.
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