Fatima Whitbread: Who is the I’m a Celebrity South Africa finalist?

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Kelly Rissman

US News Reporter

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I’m a Celebrity superfans have had the unusual treat of two doses in a single year for 2023, as a batch of famous faces returned to camp for a special edition.

This All-Star version of the popular ITV show is set in South Africa and sees a group of celebrities from past seasons have another go at jungle life.

Contestants in I’m a Celebrity... South Africa included Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder, former supermodel Janice Dickinson and ex-royal butler Paul Burrell.

Retired athlete Fatima Whitbread is one of four finalists going into tonight’s final (Friday 12 May), having fashioned a new IAC legacy following her infamous run-in with a cockroach.

Here’s all you need to know about the star sportswoman.

Fatima Whitbread is known to many for throwing javelin for Great Britain at international tournaments. She achieved a bronze, and then a silver medal during her appearances at the Olympic Games in 1984 and 1988.

Whitbread’s gold medals came at the European and World Championships in 1986 and 1987, respectively.

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After retiring in 1992, Whitbread married her long-term partner Andy Norman in 1997; they had one child together before their divorce in 2006, and his death the following year.

During Whitbread’s appearance on season 11 of I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, she was praised for her fearlessness in tasks. One Bushtucker Trial resulted in a cockroach getting lodged in her nostril after it crawled in – one of the series’ most remembered moments.

“People still come up and chat about the cockroach,” admitted Whitbread ahead of the series.

“And every time I’m a Celebrity comes out, the cockroach incident gets aired quite a bit! Most children remember me for the cockroach and their parents remember me for throwing a javelin!”

Looking back at her first time in the I’m a Celebrity camp, Whitbread recalled experiencing significant personal growth.

“I learnt a lot during my time in the camp,” she said. “As a mum, you forget about yourself and the camp made me realise I liked myself.”

Whitbread finished in third place, behind former The Only Way is Essex star Mark Wright and the eventual winner, McFly’s Dougie Poynter.

I’m a Celebrity... South Africa concludes on Friday 12 May at 9pm on ITV1 & ITVX.