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Friday 26th October
Michael Healy Rae Emerges Triumphant in Celebrities Go Wild Final
Michael Healy Rae was tonight announced as winner of RTÉ's Celebrities Go Wild challenge in aid of People In Need.
Michael said: "I want to thank everybody who texted during the week, not just for me. All this has been about raising money, creating awareness of poverty in our affluent society. I want to compliment the seven finest people I've ever had the privilege of walking anywhere with, or crawling anywhere with even."
Commenting on runner up Michelle de Bruin, Michael said: "She lifted this country before and she lifted it again in the last week."
Michelle de Bruin was philosophical on coming second: "I am absolutely shattered. Starting off I didn't realise that people were going to be voted off every night but when I realised I half expected to go on night one. Last night was the first night I thought I wanted to stay. I have no idea why people kept me in; thank you very much to everybody who voted... I did the show because it was an adventure. It was an outdoor experience, for charity... I did not want to prove something. I have fantastic memories."
Friday 26th October
Following last night's eviction of Daithi Ó Se, the three remaining Celebrities Go Wild contestants - Alan O'Neill, Michelle de Bruin and Michael Healy Rae - are now completing the final stage of their arduous journey to raise money for People in Need. With Michael Healy Rae on the oars, the three celebs are currach-bound for Westport, tonight's final destination on Celebrities Go Wild.
The three remaining celebs are in optimistic form today, with the end firmly in sight. A red-faced Daithi Ó Se admitted to his fellow survivors last night that he was "mortified" during yesterday's surprise phone-call home. Daithi chose to call his new girlfriend; there was only one problem with his romantic gesture, however: his mother had no idea he even had a new woman in his life. Daithi admitted to being nervous of the reaction back home.
Meanwhile, all the evicted celebs are gathering in Mayo tonight for the final show, preparing to welcome the eventual winner into Westport town centre. Some have stayed down west all week, such was their growing attachment to their new found allies, while others joined the crew last night in preparation for the final broadcast.
Celebrities Go Wild has proved a ratings hit since the first programme on Sunday night, with an average of 449,000 viewers tuning in each night. A peak of over half a million viewers (552,000) tuned in to Tuesday night's shock eviction of model Katy French.
Thursday 25th October
Tension is mounting in the newly reduced Celebrities Go Wild camp today, as tomorrow night's grand final draws ever closer. Following the shock double-eviction of Mickey Joe Harte and Tony Kenny, Daithi Ó Se, Alan O'Neill, Michelle de Bruin and Michael Healy Rae stayed up late into the night to celebrate their survival. One more celebrity is set to be evicted tonight (Thursday), by public vote.
Will Michelle de Bruin continue to defy her own expectations and remain on the show for the grand final?
Behind-the-scenes, preparations were today being made for the final three evictions, due to take place tomorrow night (Friday), live from 7pm, on RTÉ One. Only one celebrity will complete the Celebrities Go Wild journey tomorrow night, with the triumphant celeb set to be honoured with a red-carpet welcome from the Mayor of Westport. The winner will be invited tomorrow night to leave a cast of their hands in Westport's historic town-centre, The Octagon.
Meanwhile, back in camp today, things were hotting up around the campfire as TG4 weatherman Daithi Ó Se challenged Michael Healy Rae on his reported views on gay marriage. Michelle de Bruin continued to cut something of a lonely figure, being in contemplative mood in advance of tonight's eviction.
Today, the four remaining celebs undertook a gruelling four-hour ascent and descent of Mayo's famed Croagh Patrick. The climb proved almost too much for Michael Healy Rae, who revealed to his fellow celebs that he suffered a near fatal traffic accident some 19 years ago. Michael was almost killed in the devastating accident, when his legs were badly crushed. Michael still wears legs supports to this day. Although already feeling the strain of the week, Michael was determined to complete today's climb and anxiously awaited the verdict of the Celebrities Go Wild doctor. In the end Michael reached the summit, delighted but exhausted.
Michael was not the only celeb delighted today, however. The four exhausted celebs were each treated to one personal phone-call, to a person of their choice, upon reaching the chilly summit of the Mayo landmark.
Celebrities Go Wild has proved a ratings hit since the first programme on Sunday night, with an average of 449,000 viewers tuning in each night. A peak of over half a million viewers (552,000) tuned in to Tuesday night's shock eviction of model Katy French.
Wednesday 24th October
A worried Daithi Ó Se has revealed to the six surviving Celebrities Go Wild contestants that he fears he was in yesterday evening's lowest three on account of his failure to complete Sunday night's bunjee jump. Presenter Anna Nolan last night revealed the lowest three celebs as Katy French, Mickey Joe Harte and Daithi O Se. Katy was later evicted.
Today, eager to boost his public vote, Daithi faced his fears in a perilous rope crossing across a rough Atlantic inlet. The treacherous task left the TG4 weatherman clearly exhilarated. Will the public respond with their votes tomorrow?
Meanwhile, a tearful Katy French pledged this morning to stay on all week in the west of Ireland, in support of her new found friends. The model confessed to being devastated to be first out. Katy admitted that while she found the ordeal "physically challenging, I didn't find it mentally challenging."
Katy now hopes to stay on in Mayo to congratulate the winner on Friday night.
Olympic swimmer Michelle de Bruin has admitted that she was astonished not to be the public's first choice for eviction. Celebrities Go Wild observers confirmed that Michelle was both surprised at and grateful for the public reaction to her performance on the reality show. Michael Healy Rae was also grateful that Michelle was still in camp. As the last remaining female in the group, Michael was glad to have Michelle to share his tent with last night.
Tony Kenny is reportedly back on form following yesterday's outburst to camp leader Jamie. Tony treated the group to some of his old numbers last night, accompanied by Mickey Joe on guitar.
Tuesday 23rd October
Day 5 has dawned - Eviction Day number one. It's been tough going as the Celebrities Go Wild camp is on the move, not by car, or even on foot, but by bicycle. Today all seven celebs, already exhausted from lack of sleep in the chilly Connemara nights, set off on an arduous 22 mile up-hill cycle. Foot blisters were replaced today by saddle sores.
The seven celebs are now almost halfway through their tough week in the wilds of the west. Already, however, two solid team leaders are emerging in the CELEBRITIES GO WILD group: politician (and born leader) Michael Healy Rae, and the emerging surprise of the pack, Katy French. The two celebs have been taking charge and taking the lead, not least in the breathless 22 mile cycle itself. It seems too that we may we witnessing the world's most unlikely celebrity friendship: last night Michael and Katy even took to the bracing Atlantic waters to freshen up before retiring for the evening.
Before bed, however, there was time for a song. It seems the group are missing AWOL comrade Victoria Mary Clarke, so guitar-man Mickey Joe Harte kept the camp fires burning for her, leading all seven celebs in a rousing rendition of Fairytale of New York, the song closely associated with Victoria and partner Shane MacGowan.
In other news, having recovered from yesterday's nasty plunge into the sub-zero waters of a Connemara bog-pool, Olympian Michelle de Bruin struck out ahead of the pack during today's cycle. Surprisingly, Michelle has confirmed to presenters Anna Nolan and Aidan Power that none of the celebs have yet quizzed her on her past.
While everyone was avoiding the burning issue, however, Tony Kenny was starting some fires of his own, taking out his growing frustration on camp leader Jamie. In a heated exchange the former Jury's Cabaret singer demanded that Jamie "stop treating us like children!" Is the pressure getting to our Tony?
Monday 22nd October
It's been an eventful Day 4 in the Celebrities Go Wild camp. It was back to business for the remaining seven celebs following Victoria Mary Clarke's shock departure last night. However observers in the camp have commented that the "atmosphere is great. The group are really getting stuck in and there's a genuinely upbeat feeling. Everyone is focused on Friday and raising as much money as possible."
Today in camp, sights were set on food and food alone, with the celebs in fighting form. When three celebrities failed to take the bunjee jump yesterday, three empty hampers were included along with the full hamper. With odds like that, it was glum faces all round when the empty hamper was choice number one, meaning the group lost out on the chance to win the coveted luxury hamper. Tummy's rumbled in camp last night...
It was no surprise then when, today, all seven remaining celebs walked the tightrope in the quest for food. Most made it across the treacherous Connemara bog but it was a case of going, going, gone for Olympic swimmer Michelle de Bruin, who ended up a fish out of water in the Connemara mud.
Thankfully despite Michelle's unhappy plunge, the group were rewarded with their first hamper of the week. Presenter Anna Nolan observed: "The water was freezing, even colder than the Atlantic ocean. But at least they get their hamper this evening. Of course, there's more surprises in store tomorrow. Stay tuned."
If only Victoria had stuck around...
