When Grace Dent comes face to face with her new I’m A Celeb campmate Nick Pickard tomorrow things might be a little awkward for her.
Because she once lambasted him in a newspaper review about his time on BBC show, Celebrity Masterchef – saying she would rather jump out of a car than watch him.
In 2011, the food critic rudely referred to Nick as ‘him who plays Tony in Hollyoaks’ before adding: ‘Masterchef has fallen.’
The actor, who has starred on the Channel 4 soap for 28 years, was seen clumsily gutting a sole, splashing guts, brains and skin about, then frying the salvageable detritus on the programme alongside the likes of actress Sharon Maughan and former Newsnight presenter, Kirsty Wark.
Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Grace, 50, said: ‘I’d as much choose to watch people badly gutting, scaling and de-braining animals on TV as I would gleefully jump out of a car on to the hard shoulder. And if it’s not bloody, it’s just bloody awful.’
Oh dear! When Grace Dent comes face to face with her new I’m A Celeb campmate Nick Pickard tomorrow things might be a little awkward for her
Awkward! Because she once lambasted Nick (pictured) in a newspaper review about his time on BBC show, Celebrity Masterchef – saying she would rather jump out of a car than watch him
Her comments, said over 10 years ago, will prove to have aged badly as she is set to share a campsite with Nick, who is the longest serving actor on the award-winning soap, for up to three weeks.
And it isn’t the first time that Grace’s previous columns have come back to haunt her.
Last week, old comments emerged where she slated ITV’s hit show, I’m A Celeb, branding it ‘puerile’ and accused it of animal cruelty in 2012 while others simply won’t know who she is.
She wrote: ‘Let’s be frank, I’m a Celeb, love it or hate it, is far from a deluxe viewing experience.
‘It is a puerile venture into starvation, televised constipation and animal cruelty, abbreviated by ads for Iceland £1 curries.
‘I snap my blinds firmly shut before settling down to watch I’m a Celeb, in fear that the theme tune alone devalues my property.’
But now it’s time for the food critic to be judged herself and on her post announcing her appearance on the ITV show, one person commented: ‘Stretching the term celebrity here, I can’t lie.’
Slammed: In 2011, the critic rudely referred to Nick (pictured on Masterchef with Kirsty Wark and Phil Vickery) as ‘him who plays Tony in Hollyoaks’ before adding: ‘Masterchef has fallen’
Cast: Grace is set to appear on Sunday night alongside Sam Thompson, EastEnders’ Danielle Harold and First Dates Maitre’d Fred Sirieix before joining the rest of the cast in the Jungle
Grace is set to appear on Sunday night alongside Made in Chelsea’s Sam Thompson, EastEnders actress Danielle Harold and First Dates Maitre’d Fred Sirieix as they complete the first challenge Pole Position before joining the rest of the cast in the Jungle.
Also among this year’s campmates are Marvin Humes, Josie Gibson, Jamie Lynn Spears, Nella Rose and Nigel Farage.
The 10 celebrities will be seen for the first time on Sunday night’s launch show when they meet Ant and Dec and prepare to kick off three weeks of living with creepy crawlies and Bushtucker Trials.
Grace is a regular critic on Masterchef UK, Masterchef: The Professionals, and Celebrity Masterchef. She has also appeared as a judge on BBC Two’s Great British Menu.
Of her upcoming stint in the jungle, Grace admitted: ‘I am especially dreading being really hungry because I tend to eat four or five posh meals out a week because I am a restaurant critic.
‘I know they are going to give me an eating trial and I am dreading putting even worse things in my mouth than I have in the past in fancy restaurants!
‘I think I will be writing very stiff columns about the jungle food when I come out! Will I cook there? Yes, I am a practical cook but it is not cooking as we know it in the jungle.
‘What makes food is herbs and spices and I am not going to have any ingredients. I don’t know how you are going to make an alligator’s foot taste delicious if there are no spices.
‘I can already imagine the dinner I am going to have the moment I get out. I am going to go to a really fancy restaurant and have something delicious, wearing a lovely dress.’