Former TOWIE star Joey Essex proved he had the stomach to go all the way in the Im A Celebrity jungle by munching his way to victory over Matthew Wright in the latest bushtucker trial.
The pair had to tuck into a menu of jungle nasties in the “Takeaway Trial, and the 23-year-old triumphed after he bolted down a cockroach smoothie which proved too hard to swallow for Matthew.
First up was a visit to ‘The Wicked Wok’ where Joey and Matthew had to eat Pork Chow Brains – a pig brain. Matthew went first and gagging said that it tasted like “livery soggy chicken”. Joey then ate his portion after Matthew told him to “tell yourself it’s something else.”
Next up was the’ Foul Fish Shop’ where the two had to eat an ostrich penis. Joey went first. “It smells of willy. I won’t be able to chew that” he complained. “It’s horrible” he said as he bit down on the tough and rubbery penis. “It’s so dirty man. It tastes like a school rubber and put a load of wee all over it with vinegar and tomato sauce.” But he persevered and finished his portion.
Matthew ate his share. “Oh My God, your description was spot on minus the vinegar” he said.
“Is your camp really hungry?” taunted Joey as Matthew chewed.
“I couldn’t eat a whole one, could you?” said Matthew. “My mum is going to be so proud. To see her little boy up there eating cock on the TV with Joey from TOWIE.”
Next up was a visit to ‘Curry Frights’. Joey taunted Matthew “Can I talk to you about something quickly?. I’m to going to give up”. “I’m not because we’re starving,” said Matthew. On the menu was Bunion Bhaji – a slice of camel toe. “It stinks” said Joey. “I think you should maybe give up”. As Matthew chewed on his camel toe, Joey shuddered and told him to spit it out. And getting his own back, Matthew encouraged Joey to give up as he had his turn. But once again, both finished their meal. “I’m not giving up. That was the worst thing I’ve ever tasted in my life” said Joey.
The next visit was to ‘The-Un-Upper-Thai-Sing’. The two campers retrieved bamboo steamers that each contained a ‘sting roll’ – a spring roll containing a scorpion. They had to remove the scorpion and eat it. “Are you going to keep going?” asked Joey. “I’m not hungry, but they are” replied Matthew.
Joey started to chew and exclaimed that the scorpion tasted like burnt toast and marmite. Once again, they both ate their treat.
Finally, they visited ‘The Screaming Tower of Pizza’. They opened their foil takeaway trays to reveal some spicy meat balls, in the form of turkey testicles. “I’m not giving up” said Matthew as he defiantly put the testicle in his mouth. “They’ve got a flavour. Like turkey but wrong” he said before gagging. “They are rank. They are proper vile” said Joey.
But after retching, they both swallowed the testicles.
They both got five out of five so had to compete to a tie-break. “I never thought in a million years that I’d come in here and do that.”
The two had to race to drink the tie break treat – a glass of ‘cock-a-cola’ – blended cockroaches. Joey downed his straight away winning the Trial and leaving Matthew with absolutely nothing.
Gutted that he had bravely faced the Trial but lost at the last hurdle, he returned back to camp furious. However, hugging Matthew Joey promised him that when they met again, he would give Matthew his dinner.
The red team would eat wallaby Shank in Snake Rock, whilst the yellow team had to make do with rice and beans in Croc Creek.
I started the day hungry and I don’t feel hungry anymore. I feel sick – sick because of what I have eaten and sick,” said a devastated Matthew as he returned to camp. “It was horrible, disgusting.”
Over in Snake Rock, Joey tolf his campmates: “It’s literally one of the worse things I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve been sick and everything,” Joey told his campmates. Rebecca hugged him sympathetically, assuming he lost, so the campmates were shocked and thrilled when he told them he won.
“I don’t think I could’ve done that trial. We are very, very proud of Joey and pleased we’ll get some nice food tonight,” said Rebecca.
“I swear girls, it was so hard,” said Joey, getting a little emotional. Both Amy and Rebecca hugged him.
“I’m really proud of myself. I feel like I’ve achieved something today,” said Joey.
Joey and Matthew will now do battle again tomorrow night after viewers voted them both to do the next bushtucker trial.
Bookies make Joey a top priced even money to be crowned King of the Jungle, while Matthew can be backed at a best of 22/1.