Shona McGarty proved she’s more than ready for anything the jungle might throw at her as she dunked her head into a gravy-filled bath in a bid to win silver stars.
The actress, 34, who is set to join a slew of celebrities heading Down Under on Sunday, took to Instagram on Saturday to share the hilarious clip with fans, showing the extreme lengths she’s willing to go to in preparation.
In the video, Shona slips into a figure-hugging black jumpsuit as her bathtub fills with thick, murky gravy water.
With an I’m A Celebrity-style voiceover explaining the rules of the ‘challenge’, Shona wastes no time getting involved.
Climbing into the tub fully clothed, she grimaces as she squeals: ‘Oh, I can feel it in my toes!’
Dropping onto her hands and knees, the actress steels herself before plunging her head into the brown liquid, soaking her hair as she attempts to retrieve stars using only her mouth.
Shona McGarty proved she’s more than ready for anything the jungle might throw at her as she dunked her head into a gravy-filled bath in a bid to win silver stars
The actress, 34, who is set to join a slew of celebrities heading Down Under on Sunday, took to Instagram on Saturday to share the hilarious clip with fans, showing the extreme lengths she’s willing to go to in preparation
As dramatic music builds the tension, Shona bursts back up and reveals a star clenched between her teeth.
‘I got it’, she declares, as the person filming cheers: ‘Well done! Now drop it back in.’
Drenched from head to toe, Shona stands up and jokes to the camera: ‘It’s quite greasy. Like a massive Yorkshire pudding. This week on Come Dine With Me, Shona makes gravy.’
Alongside the video, she captioned the post: ‘When the campmates need stars… you get stars.
‘Even if that means rolling up your sleeves and fishing them out of a bath full of gravy.
‘Episode 3 of The Garden Jungle is here and Shona’s proving she’s ready for anything the jungle throws at her.’
It comes after Shona opened up about her ‘horrible’ five-year battle with anxiety and depression as she shared her fears it could impact her Jungle stint.
She revealed that behind the scenes, she’s been enduring a long battle with anxiety and depression, for which she is taking medication.
In the video, Shona slips into a figure-hugging black jumpsuit as her bathtub fills with thick, murky gravy water
With an I’m A Celebrity-style voiceover explaining the rules of the ‘challenge’, Shona wastes no time getting involved
Climbing into the tub fully clothed, she grimaces as she squeals: ‘Oh, I can feel it in my toes!’
Dropping onto her hands and knees, the actress steels herself before plunging her head into the brown liquid, soaking her hair as she attempts to retrieve stars using only her mouth
As dramatic music builds the tension, Shona bursts back up and reveals a star clenched between her teeth
Drenched from head to toe, Shona stands up and jokes to the camera: ‘It’s quite greasy. Like a massive Yorkshire pudding. This week on Come Dine With Me, Shona makes gravy’
Explaining how it prompted her to join this year’s I’m A Celebrity, Shona told Daily Mail: ‘My anxiety and my depression has been pretty bad over the last, I’d say, at least four or five years.
‘That has stopped me from doing a lot of things I’ve always wanted to do, and I’ve come to a point in my life where I don’t want to let the anxiety win.’
Shona, who recently broke off her engagement to musician David Bracken because ‘they wanted different things’ is joining the likes of Martin Kemp and Kelly Brook Down Under.
On signing up to ITV’s flagship reality show, she said: ‘This is a new chapter for me. This is a chance for not just the public to get to know me, but for me to get to know me again.’
Shona – who left EastEnders last year – added: ‘I don’t think I’ve ever done anything where I could get to be myself, job-wise.
‘So this is really new for me. And I don’t know how it’s going to go. It’s just a chance for people to get to know me away from a character that they’ve known for so many years.
‘But I’m scared that the anxiety might rear its ugly head.’
The Essex-born actress joined the cast of EastEnders in 2008 and played the beloved character, Whitney, until she left the show last year.
Shona is joining the likes of Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, comedian Edi Kaddi, model Kelly Brook and rapper Aitch Down Under (pictured with them on the beach)
Shona, who recently broke off her engagement to musician David Bracken (pictured) because ‘they wanted different things’ is going to give it her all in the Jungle
Reflecting on how growing up as a child star affected her mental health, she said: ‘Being in an industry at such a young age, when people ask you, “Are you OK?”, you have to say you’re fine.
‘That was the way I was taught. You just say, ‘fine’, and you fake it till you make it kind of thing.
‘I think the public just expects you to be okay and that you must be a very happy person, very confident all the time because you’re an actress and that’s what you do.’
Shona spoke highly of the BBC for protecting her and putting measures in place to protect her mental health growing up under its care.
But she admitted: ‘There is always that thing in the back of your head where you think, “Well, it’s unprofessional of me to say that I’m not doing OK”.
‘Or maybe you might lose your job or get killed off.’
For confidential help and support, contact Samaritans on 116 123
I’m A Celebrity launches on Sunday at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.
