While most famous faces that end up on I’m A Celeb! aren’t impressed with the food on offer, celebrity chef George Calombaris was so inspired by the infamous beans and rice, he’s added it to the menu of his Sydney restaurant!
“To celebrate my time in the jungle, I set my chefs a challenge to find the best way to cook beans and rice, and the results were absolutely amazing,” the former MasterChef Australia judge tells Woman’s Day.
“I loved it so much that we’re offering the ultimate rice and beans on the menu to celebrate finals week!”
BEING TRUE TO HIMSELF
Reflecting on his time in the South African jungle, George says it’s an experience he’s grateful for, noting he’d turned the show down seven times before finally accepting.
“Before going into the jungle I had lots of emotions,” the 47-year-old shares. “But I just decided to go in and just be George and be true to myself.”
As the last celeb to arrive in the jungle, George quickly adjusted to life in camp, and quickly made friends by showing off his cooking skills. He even managed to smuggle salt and vinegar to add a bit of kick to the meals.
But, he also used his time in the jungle to open up about “the most horrific year” of his life when he was let go from MasterChef in 2019 after being caught underpaying 500 employees across his restaurant group.
“No one prepares you for it,” he told Conchetta. “My MasterChef experience, that wicked thing called fame comes with it, and it’s a double-edged sword. You have to navigate through it, and the worst thing is, you get a bit Teflon-like, you think that you can do anything.”
“I learned a lot of lessons, definitely lots of lessons, things that I regret, I probably shouldn’t have done that.”
SOFT SPOT FOR HIS FELLOW CELEBS
While his time in the jungle has come to and end, George reveals that he’s kept in-touch with his fellow campers like the finalists Luke Bateman, Garry Sweet, Nath Valvo, Rebekah Elmaloglou, Cyrell Paule, and Conchetta.
“I’ve got a soft spot for them all,” he laughs. “And I’ve been talking to at least one of them each day since we left the jungle.”
“As celebs we have a responsibility to be role models, and the group this year was a winning recipe that I’m grateful to have been a part of.”
When asked who he thinks will walk away with the jungle crown and $100,000 for their chosen charity, George says it’s anyone’s game.
“Ultimately, it’s in the hands of the public but any of them are in with a strong chance,” he says.
