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Matty J on joining the I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! jungle

The reality veteran gets candid – from his biggest fears to his camp insider strategy
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He may be no stranger to reality TV, but when it came to leaving wife Laura Byrne and their two little girls, Marlie-Mae and Lola, for an extended period of time to head to South Africa to compete on the latest season of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Matty “J” Johnson understandably had reservations. 

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WHO caught up with the lovable larrikin shortly before he headed into camp to get the inside scoop on how he thought he’d cope.

Matty J on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of HEre 2025.
(Credit: Ten)

Congrats on going into the jungle! Was it an easy decision to do the show?

I dragged my feet quite a lot. I was kind of expecting them to say, “We’ve had to go with someone else,” because they were saying, “We need an answer by tomorrow,” and Laura and I were still trying to figure out if we could survive one parent down for that long. Just logistically, with Marlie starting school next year and Lola in kindy, and Laura is out the door some days at 6.30am. It’s such a huge disruption to the family. We want to take on these great opportunities, but we didn’t know if it was worth turning our family upside down for. 

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Laura’s radio and podcast co-host, Brittany Hockley, went on the show last season. I presume you can’t tell Britt you’re going in, but what advice do you think she’d give you?

While I haven’t said directly, “I am doing it,” I’ve asked her a few questions and I think Britt has probably put the pieces of the puzzle together. She was saying that selecting your bed is one of the most important parts. She said, “Hopefully you’re not one of the last people into camp, but if you’re one of the first in there, just play it cool, don’t make a big scene, but make sure you select a bed that’s not right in front of the fire” – because you get smoke in your face the entire time. 

Matty J and Laura
(Credit: Instagram)

You’ve been on several reality shows in the past. What is it about this one that made you want to be a part of it?

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I think it’s just being in a situation that I know is never going to be replicated ever again. When I was talking to Channel 10, I was like, “How cool will it be when I’m an old man, at Christmas time, amongst all the grandkids, and everyone’s telling stories. I can give them a story about how I survived in the jungle.” I’ll embellish the story a lot, so I’ll say that it was for six months – eating nothing but monkey anus and zebra, by myself, fending off lions. It’s such an amazing situation to be in, it’s gonna give me a story that I’m gonna be able to share for years. 

Realistically, how do you think you’ll fare? 

My mind fluctuates between it being a total train wreck. But at the same time, I really hope that I make some lifelong friends and I enjoy it, and I become best pals with [co-hosts] Robert Irwin and Julia Morris, and I make it to the end. 

matty j laura bachelor finale
(Credit: Ten)
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What kind of challenge would make you say, “I’m a celebrity… get me out of here!”?

I really have a weak gag reflex. The smell of eating anything that’s slightly gamy or that’s 

a body part and I will vomit. But the one thing I really hate more than anything is the thought of being buried alive. And I know there are situations where you’re in a box where you can’t really move, you can’t sit up, and you’re in there with insects and snakes. Those types of challenges give me nightmares. So that would be enough to want to make me throw in the towel. Skydiving or bungee jumping, I’m fine with. But people should be prepared to see me vomit more than anybody else has vomited before on this TV show. 


I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! premieres Sun. Jan. 19 at 7 pm on Network 10 and 10 Play

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