PW: What makes watching celebrities in the jungle good TV?
Myleene: It’s real life. There are no directors, managers, spin doctors, stylists or support groups. These celebrities have to answer for themselves and you see them confronting their fears. What other show strips a celebrity bare like that and then builds them back up?
PW: So tell me, Heidi’s illness: real or fake?
Myleene: Oh my goodness, there is no way it was faked for the show. The girl was ill. Crew members kept going to medical as well. The jungle is very extreme and when Heidi was taken out of the game, we chatted for an hour and a half in her hotel room, with no cameras, and she was still sick. This is the real deal — I brushed up against a plant and got a rash all over my back. This isn’t scripted, these people are living out their lives and we’re just privy to it. I don’t care who you are, nobody can act 24/7.
PW: Would you have let Heidi and Spencer back in if it was up to you?
Myleene: One hundred percent, yes. I’m fascinated by Speidi. They’re a fabulous reflection on culture in this day and age and how we’ve all contributed to the production of these eccentric characters, I was rooting for them to come back. I’m British, we love eccentric people.
PW: As a singer yourself, what did you make of Heidi’s jungle performance of “Twisted?”
Myleene: [laughs] Look, it’s hard to sing in the jungle — it’s like singing in the shower. But Heidi’s asked me to play the piano on her new album. I’m a concert pianist and have played with Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan and soon, Heidi Montag!
PW: You announced another season last night, who would be your dream contestant?
Myleene: Angelina Jolie! I’ve got my baby out here in the jungle with me and she brings her babies everywhere with her. She’s a strong woman, strong willed, feisty, intelligent and has all the potential needed to survive in the jungle!
Photo: NBC