I'm A Celebrity's Shayna Jack reveals 'dangerous' reality of filming in South Africa

I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! might be the most dangerous reality show on Australian TV, but not for the reasons you would think. While the contestants regularly take part in fear-inducing challenges such as lying in a snake-filled pit, getting dropped off a cliff, and eating bugs and animal offal, one participant has revealed that camp life was often just as frightening.

Shayna Jack, who was eliminated in Sunday night’s episode, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that viewers don’t understand just how “intense” it is camping in the South African jungle. She says she saw a handful of snakes during filming - including a spitting cobra - and production was called each time to remove them so no one got injured.

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“When I was walking to the waterfall, I just yelled ‘snake’ and stopped everybody,” she recalls. “And then there was one that was down at the gym, he was really cute. I was happy to keep him but others were not so we just got him removed and rehomed so that everybody was comfortable being down the gym.”

While speaking with Yahoo Lifestyle about her snake encounters on the show, Shayna says she could see on the live feed that someone from the crew was entering the camp to pick up a snake as the celebrities were sleeping.

“You guys at home may not see the full reality, but I'm sitting right here right now watching a man take out a snake while everybody's asleep,” she remarks. “There are quite dangerous snakes in there. Who knew cobras could spit?”

Shayna reveals what it's really like in the South African jungle

The Olympic swimmer went on to share that although the public is shown a highlight reel of all the fun moments in camp, the contestants are often “tired and exhausted”.

“You are in 40-degree heat, there are bugs everywhere, there’s baboons all over the place. You are literally in the South African jungle camping, and I was in there for 24 days,” she details.

“No electricity, you couldn't even flush a goddamn toilet, you're taking out the dunnies, you’re changing all the bin bags, you're having rice and beans for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. You're basically surviving each day and at the same time trying to put on an incredible show for the rest of Australia.”

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Despite the harsh conditions, however, Shayna admits she’s sad to have left the jungle after having an “incredible experience” on the show.

“Being so close to the end, you’re just hoping to hold on, but it is what it is,” she says. “I'm a humble person, so I am okay walking away and making sure that I did my best for my charity, the Prostate Cancer Australia Foundation.

“I created awareness for prostate cancer, had some incredible conversations with some incredible people, and hopefully I've shown the public who I really am and that I'm more than just a swimmer.”

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