Camilla Dallerup ('I'm A Celebrity)

Strictly Come Dancing star Camilla Dallerup became the first contestant to exit this year's I'm A Celebrity... last Wednesday, walking off the show after suffering from ill health. The Danish dancer had broken down in tears after only three days in the jungle and admitted that she didn't have the strength for the bushtucker trials. We caught up with Camilla at the infamous Versace hotel at the end of last week to find out whether she has any regrets about her short stint on the reality show.

How are you feeling, Camilla?
"I'm feeling much better now that I've had some food. I’m taking it easy at the moment because my whole experience is a bit of a blur at the moment. It’s strange because we were always chatting about how amazing it's going to be to stay at the Versace hotel - but now I'm here and I'm not feeling that excited. I feel I'm here at the hotel too early. I can't believe what’s gone on. I've never had to quit anything in my life. I'm a fighter. I work hard and I don't whinge. I get on with things. Unfortunately, I saw the medics and I was advised to leave because I didn't have any reserve left in my body. There was no body fat there. I had to quit the show."

Did producers try to persuade you to stay?
"No. They don't get involved when it's something medical. It was my choice."

Were conditions in camp harsh?
"It's funny because all of the things I thought I would be scared of - like sleeping outside, not having my phone and having a rat run across you - really didn't scare me. Berries kept falling on me during the night and at first I thought they were animals - but then I just got used to it. I even got used to the jungle sounds and the flies everywhere and the mosquitoes and spiders. I was immune to it all in the end. I didn't care at all. People who know me will be amazed to hear that because I’m usually the person freaking out saying, 'Oh my god… There's a spider over there'. I couldn't care less."

How much sleep did you get in the jungle?
"I didn't sleep at all for the first two nights. I think I might have got 20 minutes max, so I was exhausted."

Why did you have to quit the show?
"I had to quit because I had no energy. I had no fat deposit on me. Once you start to lose weight, you normally start to feed on your muscles and your fat - but I haven't got anything extra on my body. I felt so weak in the jungle that I could hardly take ten steps. You know what? I've never believed in diets. When you're an athlete, you have to eat right - and the one thing I've always done is make sure that I eat. I've never done a diet in my entire life - and this jungle diet was an absolute shock to my system. I don't agree to diets and I don't agree with people doing diets without consulting a nutrition advisor first because you can put your body through a terrible experience, like I just did."

Is Kim winding everyone up?
"No, she's fabulous. Kim winds people up, but she does it with a wink and a smile. She doesn't mean it. Kim is lovely. She's been like my mum in the jungle. She's gorgeous."

What's Katie really like in there?
"There have been so many funny, comedy moments - but I feel sorry for some of the group because they won't be seen on screen anymore. It's now the Katie Show and no-one else gets a look in."

Do you think you got pushed aside for Katie?
"No. Listen, Katie is nice. I saw a hint of a wonderful person who is very vulnerable. You can tell that she's a normal girl and a caring mum. She was lovely to me the night I didn't feel well. She helped me up to the doctor and she said to wake her if I felt bad because she was used to the jungle and she knew what it was about. I'm sure people would love her more if they got to see the vulnerable side to her. Jordan takes over and she thinks she has to mask everything."

Do you regret coming out?
"It was definitely not a mistake to go into the jungle. I have learned so much about myself and I have met some amazing people that I cannot wait to see again. I would not swap my heart-to-hearts with George for anything. If that was all I got from the jungle, my time in there would have been magical. I've learned so much about camping too. I would go back and do it all over again - but I needed another five kilos on me so that I could've drawn on that. Unfortunately, you can't do anything about your body shape. My body is my tool. I'm getting Britain fit with GMTV in January and I really could not take a chance and risk being unwell just to be on telly. There are times in your life when you have to think, 'Health or be on the telly?' I chose my health."

I'm A Celebrity... continues tonight at 9pm on ITV1.