Ouch. Beau Ryan didn’t hold back when asked about his sudden exit from I’m A Celeb during a radio interview this morning.
Beau Ryan didn’t hold back when asked about his sudden exit from I’m A Celeb during a radio interview this morning.
Ryan shocked his fellow campmates by abruptly quitting the show in Thursday night’s episode, uttering the phrase that meant he could instantly leave camp: “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here.”
And speaking to Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa on-air this morning, Ryan revealed he was just days from the finale when he made the decision to quit – but felt he had to because he “hated it.”
“I left at midnight on a Monday and then the last day was on the Friday. And they the final six would have had a Saturday together and flew back so it was four or five days,” he told them.
“It was torture… hated it.”
Aked what the worst part of experience was, Ryan revealed that hunger had worn away at him but there was one day in particular that “broke” him, when he was eager to participate in a trial but instead producers made an announcement to the contestants.
“They came down and said today is a no filming day so we‘re not actually using today… and that broke me. It really broke me,” he said.
“I felt really bad on myself. I was really upset with myself. At the end of the day, man, I couldn‘t get through it.”
Ryan also revealed he’d been “really anxious” watching the show go to air over the past month, unsure of what would make it in and how he’d be portrayed.
The former rugby league player turned TV presenter had struggled during his weeks at camp, battling hunger and missing his family, including his two young children.
Still, his announcement sent shockwaves around the camp.
“As you know, the last couple of days I was struggling – today I was a bit broken. It’s been really hard for me, I’m not going to lie to you,” he began, after calling the attention of his fellow campmates.
“I travel a lot, and I work a lot. I remember growing up there was a guy who lived two houses down from me whose dad was always away for work – and I don’t want to be that dad. My kids need their dad. My wife needs her husband. And I need to find myself back at the moment.”
“I’ve got voices in my head saying ‘don’t be a p***y,’ ‘don’t give up’ … but I can’t gain anything else from this show. Call it what you like, but … my journey here’s over. I’m a celebrity, get me out of here, and I’ll see you on the other side.”
The other celebrities looked dismayed at Ryan’s announcement, asking him if he was sure he wanted to quit – but he’d made up his mind.
AFL legend Nathan Buckley reflected on Ryan’s decision after his exit, saying: “The experience of being in the jungle is no walk in the park. Things that we take for granted in our normal lives are not here. He made the decision that he needed to make.”
Ryan’s departure comes after media reports last month claiming he had threatened to quit the show during filming last September when he learned Buckley was earning an eye-watering salary for his time in the jungle.
Ryan allegedly discovered Buckley’s $300,000 appearance fee, despite The Amazing Race host entering the jungle with no extra pay due to his contract with Network 10, the Herald Sun reported.
According to the publication Ryan was witnessed mid “meltdown” after Buckley informed him of his pay.
But Ryan refuted those claims with Fitzy and Wippa today, insisting he and Buckley “never had a talk about money” while filming.
“$300k is good money to do four weeks in the jungle. I didn‘t get that. But, but we never had a talk about money. He pulled me up a couple of times for being a dickhead… for throwing my toys,” he said.
Ryan is the fourth person in eight seasons of I‘m A Celeb Australia to say the words and quit the show, following fellow sports stars Bernard Tomic and Anthony Mundine and comedian Mel Buttle.
From here, the eliminations pick up on I’m A Celeb, with one contestant booted each episode now as the show enters its final week on air.
I’m A Celeb continues 7:30pm Sunday on Ten.
