Fatima Whitbread and Antony Cotton were last night voted off I’m a Celebrity.
The former Olympian and the Coronation Street soap star triumphed in the arduous Celebrity Cyclone trial – powerful water hoses, slime and fierce winds – but failed in the poularity poll. For so long the duo had been at loggerheads but last night they worked well together, pipping rivals Mark and Dougie to the post and a free meal. But it was too little too late.
Cotton was the first to walk the plank – or rope bridge – where he was met by his mum. After surviving 21 days in the jungle he was disappointed that he didn’t make it to the final showdown. "I'm absolutely gutted," he told hosts, Ant and Dec. “We've come this far and I'd never even thought about the final until last night, so I'm gutted but I did all I could do and I'm amazed I lasted this long.”
Whitbread was even more surprised by her elimination, believing that she had the smarts (and definitely the muscles) to be crowned Queen of the Jungle. But she was magnanimous in defeat, even having some kind words for Cotton: “I've grown to love him, he's a good man but he's larger than life.” And we did get to see – a few times – her close encounter with the cockroach that had the temerity to go up her nose. There was only going to be one winner in that encounter.
Now there are just two left in the jungle, good mates Mark and Dougie. Tonight the winner takes all.
