I’m A Celebrity campers Carol Vorderman and Sam Quek had to brave dizzying heights after volunteering for the latest Bushtucker Trial for the sake of “girl power”.
Battling “jelly legs” and vertigo, the duo had to walk back and forth over a narrow plank raised 20 metres in the air in a bid to secure meals for their teammates.
Reeling from the loss of model Lisa Snowdon, the latest contestant to be evicted from the ITV reality series, Carol and Sam chose to tackle the Hot Sc-Air Ballooning trial on “a day for girls”.
Daubed with charcoal war paint by Ola Jordan and Scarlett Moffatt, the pair were transformed into “warrior princesses” and predicted a big win.
“Whatever you can throw at us, bring it on,” said former Countdown host Carol, pounding her chest with her fists.
Olympian Sam said: “Today is a day for girls. This one is for Lisa!”
However, their success seemed less certain when they arrived at the trial spot and presenters Ant and Dec explained they would each be lifted high off the valley floor in different balloons and would then have to inch across a plank to swap stars.
One tumble off the plank would mean losing a meal for the jungle camp.
Seconds before they were due to start, Dec told the ladies they could change their minds.
But Ant noted: “I don’t think we have got two ladies here who have put war paint on their faces to turn around and say no.”
With the clock counting down, the pair were raised in the air before they started to gingerly walk across the perilous plank.
As the platform was raised another few metres, part of it fell away, leaving them with an ever-narrower path to walk.
“I’ve got my jelly legs back,” said a trembling Carol.
After making their way back to the safety of their balloons, Carol and Sam discovered they had won 10 meals for camp.
“We did it Sam, we smashed it, and the girls are back in town. That was the best thing!” said Carol. “Girl power, so happy, I loved that, but my legs went again like jelly.”
It was a good day all around, as the hungry campers also won themselves a lavish treat of chips, crisps and alcohol.
The contestants had to travel on an underground train strewn with rubbish, rotting offal and jungle critters to find tickets to a special destination.
The tickets then gave the group entry to the Jungle Arms, where they ate hot chips, crisps, nuts and cheese.
Diversity dancer Jordan Banjo said: “People at home will not know how much this means to us. Makes you appreciate it. This was so worth it. I’m buzzing.”
Actor Larry Lamb said: “I will never look at crisps again in the same way. If they put a steak dinner on here, I would still prefer this.”
