Maura Higgins has admitted she can’t imagine finding love on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!
The reality star, 33, will make her debut as a late arrival on the ITV1 jungle reality show in Thursday night’s episode.
Maura was thought to be dating Strictly Come Dancing contestant Pete Wicks, 36, but has now insisted she is single, with a romance likely to be ruled out.
She said: “It’s quite scary going in later. They all met and got to know each other.
“It’s never easy being the new guy, but I’m not a shy person, so I feel like I’ll be fine. It will be nice to bring some energy to camp.
‘Right now I’m single, but honestly no one will like me in the jungle. Believe me!’
Maura Higgins has admitted she can’t imagine finding love on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! as viewers await her jungle debut on Thursday’s show
The former Love Island star has jumped at the chance to brave the Australian outback and is looking forward to getting to know hosts Ant and Dec, but is ‘very nervous’ about the experience as she is ‘afraid of everything’ that comes with the jungle has to offer.
She said: ‘This is the only TV show I’ve ever wanted to do and it’s a real pinch-me moment.
‘I’m ready to step outside my comfort zone. I hope I do myself proud and I’m both excited and very nervous because I’m scared of absolutely everything.
‘But I’ve been watching this show for years and it will be nice to get to know Ant and Dec, who I met on the red carpet before.’
It comes after MailOnline revealed Maura will be dumped in the Jungle Junkyard when she makes her show debut.
Irish model and fellow latecomer Reverend Richard Coles, 62, assumed they would join the rest of the cast in the main camp, but in a shocking twist the unlikely duo are initially separated and placed in misery.
The Jungle Junkyard contains overgrown greenery, rusty corrugated iron and zero luxury, a stark contrast to the sun-drenched Love Island villa where Maura made her name.
A TV insider revealed the reality star will get the ‘shock of her life’ after jetting off from Las Vegas, where she enjoyed an all-expenses-paid influencer trip with beauty brand Space NK, to land in rainy Australia and be stripped of its luxury.
The star was thought to be dating Strictly Come Dancing contestant Pete Wicks, 36, but has now insisted she is single and a romance is likely to be ruled out
And the lack of facilities isn’t the only scary factor about the Jungle Junkyard, with I’m A Celeb bosses teasing that the show’s latecomers will be put to the test and that the base camp is hiding one big secret.
A source from the show said: ‘Maura and Richard Coles will get the shock of their lives as they enter the Australian jungle, sleeping in a horrible junkyard.
“Maura has gone from the bright lights of Sin City to being dumped at base camp, without any luxuries.
‘But in reality, I’m A Celeb fashion is not what it seems, and viewers will soon discover that the jungle holds many secrets.
“Bosses have a few surprises in store for the upcoming series… and the Jungle Junkyard might be hiding the biggest of them all.”
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline ahead of her time in the jungle, Maura insisted she is ‘single’ despite dating TOWIE star Pete Wicks in recent months.
She claimed that Pete, who is currently competing on Strictly Come Dancing with professional partner Jowita Przystał, will not fly to Australia to meet her across the famous I’m A Celeb bridge when her time on the show comes to an end.
Pete commits to Strictly after managing to avoid the dance-off despite receiving the lowest grades in the cast and being bottom of the leaderboard.
But his departure from the show could see him surprise Maura and best friend Sam Thompson, who is also Down Under and co-hosts new spin-off show Unpacked.
It comes after MailOnline revealed Maura will be dumped in the Jungle Junkyard when she makes her show debut with Reverend Richard Coles
When asked if she is in a relationship with Pete, Maura said: ‘I am not. I’ve been on dates with a lot of people. I mean, I date, but I’m very single. Everyone goes on dates.”
Indeed, the pair enjoyed a final evening together watching pianist Ludovico Einaudi at the London Palladium, where Maura said she was overcome with emotion watching the composer perform, before parting ways due to work commitments.
They have also been spotted kissing at numerous red carpet events such as the Pride of Britain Awards, with Maura previously speaking about how the pair have been friends for years.
At the prospect of Pete flying across the world to greet her at the jungle bridge and reunite with good friend Sam, Maura responded: “I don’t know anything, he didn’t tell me anyway.”