Viewers across Australia and the United Kingdom are used to seeing Anne Hegerty as the tough-as-tails Governess on The Chase, but the 60-year-old has broken down in tears on her first night in the Australian jungle as part of the UK version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Anne, 60, is one of 10 celebrities on the hit ITV reality show, although she already appears to be cracking after an exhausting first day.
The contestants were originally split into two teams and had to compete in a series of gruelling tasks to determine which celebrities would get to set up camp at the slightly more glamorous Croc Creek location – while the losing team would be forced to stay in a less luxurious location known as Snake Rock.
During a task where teams competed against each other in a canoe challenge, Anne’s team’s canoe capsized into snake-infested waters, causing them to lose the game and spend a night at the less-than-impressive jungle location. Back at camp, a heavily sunburned Anne broke down as she struggled to adjust to life in her new home.
Fellow contestant Rita Simons described camp as “beyond basic” and admitted it “hits home the minute you walk in”. In devastating scenes, the Chase star could be seen sighing in frustration before bursting into tears.
“I’m fine. I’m just really really close to saying I can’t do this,” she said through tears.
Another contestant, Emily Atack, explained on camera that Anne had got a bit upset and that her team mates gave her a cuddle to show their support.
“It’s overwhelming,” Emily admitted. “I think she was just expressing how we were all secretly feeling, we just didn’t want to admit it.”
Anne’s co-stars told her they were all “freaking out” and that she wasn’t alone, while singer Fleur East said they all had to be there for her.
“The minute we all rallied around her, she just felt so much better,” she said.
The other stars tried to cheer Anne up by telling her it was always meant to be “this s**t” at the start, although the star joked back, “It’s just not meant to be this s**t”.
After she had calmed down, the 60-year-old described her co-stars as “absolutely brilliant”.
“They’re a fantastic bunch. I like them,” she gushed. “They’re my team.”
Before entering the show, Anne had previously been open about her fears of going on a reality show due to her autism diagnosis – and admitted that she values her space, in an exclusive chat with Starts at 60.
“I can’t be around people too much,” she said. “So that could be a problem.”
She also appeared in a promo video for the show ahead of its launch and explained: “I feel I seem to have spent most of my life avoiding anything that might possibly resemble camping outdoors… Why am I even doing this?”
The TV star admitted that she thought she would annoy people.
“I’m sure I will annoy people immensely,” she added. “I think I’m capable of being deeply annoying… I’m kind of hoping this is going to be a bit of a learning curve.”