Rebekah Elmaloglou has been lighting up Aussie screens since she was 17 years old. But despite her tenure on shows like Home and Away and Neighbours, we’ve never really been able to connect with the real Rebekah. Well, until she signed up for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.
While the 52-year-old was excited to step out of her comfort zone, she says being herself on television was just as nerve racking as the idea of eating animal guts.
“I’m a very outgoing person. I’m a people person, an extravert, the life of the party. But with my career, I’m used to doing interviews about my work. Usually they’re about storylines or character arcs. I’m not used to exposing myself like we did on I’m A Celeb,” the 52-year-old admitted to TV WEEK.
“I think a lot of us in there weren’t used to that and it was a bit confronting.”
As the show was pre-recorded, this year’s celebs were able to watch the show from the comfort of their own home. While there’s an added benefit of being able to share the watching experience with friends, family and the rest of the country, Rebekah says it makes for some cringy moments.
“I hate watching myself back as an actor,” the mum-of-one admits.
“Being me made me go, ‘oh my god, what was I thinking? Why did I do my hair like that? What am I saying?’ Anyone’s going to be self critical in that situation. You’re putting yourself out there, 24/7 for 23 days. It’s an extraordinary experience, but the audience is only given very small snippets so it’s also an experience watching it back.”
For the last 12 years, Rebekah played Terese Willis on Neighbours until he show came to a final end in 2025. With that chapter of her life over, Rebekah is excited to embrace new opportunities in the media.
“I’ve always been pigeonholed as a soap actress,” she shares.
“I am so proud of that. 20 years ago people didn’t want to admit they were in soaps or it was frown upon by industry people. Nowadays I know I am good at what I do, I love what I do and soaps are definitely my genre that I’ve always done and always loved.
Now that she’s added “reality star” to her extensive resume, she’s excited to see what will come next.
“But I think it’s nice to have the audience see me for what I am and what I’m capable of. I’mI want to get into comedy, to do some presenting, to get into radio.
“I’m open to doing a lot of things and I am so excited by the thought of that. I just hope my time in the jungle shows people that I do have the personality to do that and I’m not just a soap actress.”
