I’m A Celeb’s Victoria Derbyshire says she has ‘special swimsuits’ for shower scenes after her mastectomy
I'M A Celebrity's Victoria Derbyshire has packed bespoke swimsuits for the ITV show's shower scenes after undergoing a mastectomy to treat her breast cancer.
The BBC journalist, 52, beat breast cancer after being diagnosed in 2015 and had a single mastectomy to remove her breast which helped rid her body of the disease.
In March 2018 she raised awareness of the illness when she bared all for ITV's The Real Full Monty.
But Victoria pointed out that having communal showers with her fellow campmates in front of the nation isn't exactly within her comfort zone.
She exclusively told The Sun: "You've got to take some swimwear so I've got a couple of swimsuits that are post-mastectomy swimsuits. They've got extra padding at the front because I had a breast removed a few years ago. So I don't feel exposed in them it's a proper swimsuit, it's not a bikini, so that makes me feel OK about that.
"I mean, obviously you wouldn't necessarily choose to have a shower in front of millions of people, but it's only going to be seconds on the telly."
In 2015 Victoria announced via Twitter that she had breast cancer, and then recorded video diaries of her battle with the disease.
The vlogs detailed everything about her tough treatments from chemo and radiotherapy to her eventual mastectomy.
"I won't know what I'm going to be like in the trials and the environment until I get there, but going through cancer treatment was quite a big deal and some of it was pretty painful," she added.
"So I try and tell myself what I went through a few years ago, what I'm about to go through cannot of course be like that.
"I'll have to have a word with myself and focus if there is a spider crawling over me if I need to, and say 'I have experienced much worse'".
The popular news-reader has joined famous faces Mo Farah, Hollie Arnold, Jordan North, Vernon Kay, AJ Pritchard, Jessica Plummer and Beverley Callard, and Giovanna Fletcher in the 2020 line-up.
She was approached by I'm A Celeb bosses during the first lockdown and jumped at the chance, saying her sons Ollie, 16, and Joe, 13, wouldn't have let her turn it down.
She added: "When I talked to my boys and husband about it they were beyond excited about the possibility. It's the only TV show they watch, the rest of the time they're on YouTube! And they love Ant and Dec and basically, they've kept this a secret since March which is impressive."
Speaking about the show's challenges, she continued: "I think I'll have a go at everything. I'm not great with confined spaces, or with rats, but who is?
"And the idea of being in a tank as water fills up makes me feel claustrophobic. I'm really interested to find out how I'll feel about the hunger."
Most read in I’m A Celebrity
But the successful journalist isn't phased by stories the creepy Grwych castle is haunted.
She won't be spooked easily, adding: "I did do a bit of research and read about a Countess who is supposed to haunt the castle. I don't believe in ghosts, and I'm happy to be proved wrong, but as a journalist I like my facts and my evidence."
I’m A Celebrity will kick off this weekend at Gwrych Castle in North Wales with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly returning to host the first show on Sunday on ITV.