Tag: australia
EXCLUSIVE British Buddhist, 87, living in Australia is NOT missing Lord Lucan who vanished
Report claims Lord Lucan is exact facial recognition match for 87-year-old ‘Buddhist’ in Australia
I’m A Celebrity’s Boy George and Mike Tindall arrive in Australia for show
I’m A Celebrity: Boy George arrives in Australia completing star-studded line-up
I’m going to be the Lion Queen on I’m a Celeb, says Boy George as he lands in Australia ahead of ITV show
CULTURE Club singer Boy George has dubbed himself the ‘Lion Queen’ as he touches down in Australia ahead of his appearance on I’m A Celeb.
The vegan pop icon, 61, who landed in Brisbane Airport wearing a novelty mask, refused to confirm whether he would eat any bugs during the ITV show’s infamous bushtucker trials.
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The pop star, who is vegan, is known for his flamboyant dress sense[/caption]
Shortly after landing George told The Sun: “I’m here to do a version of the Lion Queen.”
Asked if the mask will be staying on inside the camp, he said: “Let’s hope so.”
When pushed on whether he would eat any creepy crawlies in the jungle or if he was simply a “vegan lion”, he added: “I’m a Lion Queen, I have told you,” before insisting: “I love all creatures.”
The singer, who scored huge hits in the 1980s with Karma Chameleon and Do You Really Want To Hurt Me, also confirmed he would be meditating on the show which will start with 10 celebrities.
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Presenters Ant McPartlin, 46, and Declan Donnelly, 47, touched down this week as the show returns Down Under for the first time in two series following the Covid pandemic.
Speaking about Ant and Dec, George said: “I love them both.”
The 61-year-old is now heading to quarantine ahead of the show’s first episode on November 6.
ITV execs are delighted by the A-list signing and hope the eccentric star will be TV gold in the jungle.
George, whose full name is George Alan O’Dowd, smiled as handlers and security ushered him through the airport to a waiting vehicle.
A telly source said: “Boy George is a real coup for producers, there is a lot of excitement in-house at ITV.
“The singer is renowned for his dry wit and frank delivery, he is always outspoken and will be hilarious value in camp, hopefully regaling viewers with his showbiz stories about his famous friends.
“While George is well acquainted with Australia after living in Sydney for several years, he has no experience of the Outback, so will be like a fish out of water living rough.”
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George, who became a highly successful club DJ following his pop career, joins the stars who have already arrived on the Gold Coast including radio DJ Chris Moyles, Love Island’s Olivia Attwood and the show’s first ever royal Mike Tindall.
It has been previously been reported that the committed vegan won’t be forced to eat insects on the gruelling programme and will be given meat-free alternatives at camp meals.
Earlier this year, George was a guest on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Take-away and told the duo the idea of eating meat put him off, saying: “Unless you do a vegan version and then I’m in.”
And speaking in 2016 the singer, who is renowned for wearing signature hats, revealed he turned down the survival series several times due to strict campmate uniform and lack of food.
He said: “There would be serious clothing restrictions in the jungle.
“I’d have to get certain hats made and I couldn’t get over the food. I would have a problem with that.”
He was close to starring on Celebrity Big Brother, but revealed last year he was talked out of it by his mother Dinah.
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We previously told how the stars have been given mental health MOTs to make sure they don’t crack under the pressure cooker atmosphere of the show.
This included divulging any previous mental health issues and admitting to any booze and substance abuse problems.
George has had well-publicised struggles with drugs in the past including with heroin and cocaine.
However, he has forged a successful television career in the last decade most notably as a judge on talent show The Voice both in the UK and Australia.
The campmates – including Corrie star Sue Cleaver and Loose Women star Charlene White – have all undergone strict processes.
They were checked to see if they could withstand the stress of being sleep-deprived, the pressure of the team trials and being apart from their loved ones.
Celebs were asked about their fears, phobias and anxieties and what triggers problems or episodes.
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An ITV source revealed: “The screening takes place before contracts are signed.
“The processes evaluate someone’s ability to cope in the show. It doesn’t matter that someone is famous – they are still human and with the same frailties as the rest of the population.”
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UPA — Bill Chalker Interview – Unexplained Phenomena Australia
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Mike Tindall confirmed as first I’m A Celeb royal contestant after landing in Australia
I’ll miss Zara and the kids in I’m a Celeb jungle, says Mike Tindall after arriving in Australia
MIKE Tindall has landed in Australia ready to become the first Royal to ever take part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
The former England rugby ace, 43, arrived at Brisbane airport on a red eye flight from London, and said he’d miss his royal family while in camp.
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Mike is married to the late Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips, making him the long-running show’s biggest ever signing.
Wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, Mike told The Sun: “It’s probably one of the longest times we’ve been away completely with no communication. When you go away you still have communication, so that’s obviously going to be the hardest bit.
“You’ve just got to get your head around doing what you’re doing and try and win some stars and stuff and see where you go from there. I want to win stars because I want to eat!
“The hanger is always going to be the biggest thing you have got to worry about but I’ve also got three kids, so dealing with lack of sleep comes with the territory.”
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And he shared that Australia held a special place in his heart.
He said: “Australia is a special place yeah, I met Zara in Sydney. There is no holiday planned at the moment afterwards. “
Asked how his royal wife felt about the show, Mike went on: “She is fine, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it would I?
“I was always on the fence but I do think it will be good fun at the end of the day. That is the other thing, I like groups of people and I like things that can be good fun so let’s see. I might regret it.”
His role on the show means that, if successful, Mike could be ‘King of the Jungle’ before King Charles’ coronation.
But the dad-of-three laughed: “I’m not really thinking about that to be honest.”
He added that he had “no idea” if Princes William and Harry would be tuning in to watch him face Bushtucker Trials.
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Mike joins the stars who have already arrived on the Gold Coast ready to meet Ant and Dec in the jungle camp, including radio DJ Chris Moyles and Love Island’s Olivia Attwood.
It isn’t the first time the Royal has appeared on an entertainment show, with him taking to the slopes for Channel 4’s The Jump and Bear Grylls’ Mission Survive in 2015.
But told it was the first big reality series a royal had done since It’s A Knockout, he added: “No one said that when I did Bear Grylls and The Jump and I just do things I think will be fun.”
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Mike has previously appeared on Channel 4’s The Jump[/caption]
Mike was a member of the English rugby team when they won the World Cup in 2003 and won 75 international caps and scored 14 tries during his staggering 17 year career.
He married Zara in 2011 at Canongate Kirk on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and the couple now live at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire with their children Mia, eight, Lena, four, one-year-old Lucas.
Mike retired from rugby in 2014 and was awarded an MBE in 2007 for his services to sport.
Today pictures revealed show crew members assembling the famous Walk the Plank trial on top of a high rise on the Gold Coast.
It appears there will be a twist this year as the photos show three platforms instead of two.
The new stars competing to become king or queen of the jungle will be forced to face their fears when the show returns on 6 November by walking to the end of the platforms suspended 32-storeys in the air.
We previously told how the stars have been given mental health MOTs to make sure they don’t crack under the pressure cooker atmosphere of the show.
This included divulging any previous mental health issues and admitting to any booze and drugs problems.
The campmates – including Corrie star Sue Cleaver and Loose Women star Charlene White – have all undergone strict processes.
They were checked to see if they could withstand the stress of being sleep-deprived, the pressure of the team trials and being apart from their loved ones.
Celebs were asked about their fears, phobias and anxieties and what triggers problems or episodes.
They were also asked to talk about any mental health problems, plus any addictions and details of medication they are taking or have taken.
![](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/mike-tindall-england-action-rugby-768981659.jpg?strip=all&w=660)
Mike was a rugby hero before he retired in 2014[/caption]
Square Peg Capital closes $550M fund for Southeast Asia, Australia and Israel
It’s a tough market for venture capital, but Square Peg Capital is plowing ahead with its focus on Australia (where it is based), Southeast Asia and Israel. The firm announced today that it has closed its fifth fund totaling $550 million. This brings its total raised across all funds to about $1.6 billion. Square Peg […]
Square Peg Capital closes $550M fund for Southeast Asia, Australia and Israel by Catherine Shu originally published on TechCrunch