Inside ex Dancing On Ice ‘Mr Nasty’ judge Jason Gardiner’s ‘stress-free’ off-grid life living in a tent in Portugal
DANCING On Ice is jam packed with glitz and glamour - from the celebrity contestants to the rhinestone-encrusted costumes.
But it all proved too much for former 'Mr Nasty' judge Jason Gardiner, who revealed he moved into a tent in Portugal for a "stress-free" life.
Jason, 49, recently revealed how he didn't realise how "toxic" filming the ITV series had been until he took a step back and became an eco warrior.
The Aussie choreographer quit the show in August 2019 - jumping before he was pushed after learning that bosses were secretly trying to replace him.
He has since become at one with nature; living in a tent while studying soil, planting flowers, and even scavenging in skips for food.
The controversial TV judge spent three months living in a tent in a village in Portugal while building eco-friendly houses for refugees.
Jason called his interesting new career - a far cry from his role in the celebrity world - a "real life changing experience".
He shared: "I have found a new life that isn’t about the toxic environment of the TV industry. My tenure on Dancing on Ice was always marred with controversy and lots of issues.
"The problem is, I didn’t realise how toxic it was until I left. It took me a while to decompress from it, I’ll be honest."
Jason added to that he'd been working on a solo show before the pandemic hit, and his company was not eligible for government support so he was left with no choice but to shut it down.
He struggled with his mental health until a kind neighbour checked in on his well-being before offering him work on her allotment.
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Jason concluded: "The minute she took me there something happened. I don’t know what it was but I just got the excitement back in my life.
“I would wake at 6am every morning and I wouldn’t leave the allotment ‘til eight-nine o’clock at night. I did that seven days a week."
Now, Jason shares his "stress-free" life with his social media followers, showing off his huge bell tent living area and skip scavenging skills.
One snap sees Jason sitting inside his dark tent at night, while in another, he performs a series of yoga moves outside as part of his morning ritual.
Videos on his social media also see Jason planting fresh vegetables and preparing "food crops" with a group other people living off-grid.
As well as a group of friends living a similar lifestyle, the star has also been pictured with a pet cat in the garden of the communal outdoor living space.
Jason was last seen earlier this year when he blasted DOI as “flat, worn-out and cold as ice” and said it misses his scathing criticisms.
He also revealed he had crippling anxiety in lockdown last year — and that his bust-up with Gemma Collins on the programme left him mentally strained.
Jason, who left the series in 2019, said: “By the end the show was too toxic.
“I went through some very dark times after it all played out and I realised I wasn’t valued in any way, shape or form by ITV.
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“I’ve attempted to watch the new series, but it’s not the same show. They all look worn down. There’s no one having a laugh, it’s as cold as ice to watch it. I think it’s lost the fun element.
“The energy is very flat and weird. It’s predictable. I know all the judges are going to say really nice things — they’re non-provocative. It’s just flat.”
