I'm A Celeb star Tulisa reveals heartbreaking reason why she stepped away from spotlight 10 years ago after return to TV
For many I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! viewers, last night's debut episode marked the first time they'd lay eyes upon N-Dubz star Tulisa Contostavlos in years following the star's break from television.
What many don't realise, however, is that her temporary absence from the limelight wasn't simply because she'd fallen from the favour of fans, but a conscious choice made by the singer following a turbulent few years in the limelight.
Alongside nine other huge-name stars, 36-year-old Tulisa entered the IAC camp last night (17 November), where she'll spend the next three weeks battling for food in Bushtucker Trials.
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The ITV gig marks her first on-screen appearance since 2018, when she appeared on an episode of the broadcaster's star-studded game show Don't Hate The Playaz.
In the years prior, however, she was a regular Saturday night TV star, having appeared as a judge on The X Factor, a frequent Loose Women panellist and a guest star on comedy series Don't Sweat The Small Stuff.
Sadly, however, everything changed for the star when she became the victim of a sex crime that would see her take a step back from stardom.
Following an impressive stint in the spotlight, Tulisa's ex-boyfriend Justin Edwards leaked an intimate tape they'd filmed together a decade earlier while in a relationship.
After being subjected to relentless torment online - releasing a heartbreaking YouTube clip in response - Tulisa began keeping a low profile.
"When you share an intimate moment with someone that you love, you care about and you trust, you never imagine for one minute that that footage may at any point be shared with the rest of the UK or the rest of the people around the world," she explained at the time.
A year later, she became the victim of a sting operation, which saw an undercover journalist for The Sun on Sunday alleged that Tulisa fixed a drug deal for him.
Thankfully, the case was thrown out, with the reporter being found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
"I’d been blacklisted from everywhere, I couldn’t f***ing do music, I just had to ride it out," Tulisa later told The Guardian.
"But I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing, so I thought I’ll use this time to write, and then even if I go to prison, I can still make money out of a book."
In 2020, Tulisa was also diagnosed with Bell's palsy - a condition involving a type of facial paralysis where the muscles in the affected side of the face are hard to move on a temporary basis - which altered her appearance.
Now, however, the musician says she's ready to put her turbulent past behind her and start afresh - even if what's to come leaves her petrified.
Discussing her I'm A Celeb stint, she told press: "I’m a big softie and I’m an emotional person.
"I will probably struggle in the first few days as doing something like this is a big deal for me."
Tulisa also told FAULT magazine that, though she'd never planned on agreeing to take part, she'd be giving the series everything she could.
"I actually was at a point where I was like, 'I would never, ever do this.' But we're all forever evolving and growing and I just got to a point in my life where I was just in my f*** it era," she admitted.
"I was like, 'Does it seem really uncomfortable?' Yeah. 'Is it super exciting?' Yes. 'Are you gonna have a crazy rollercoaster journey?' Yes. So do it! All the things surrounding the fear around it, I'm just like, 'So what! Just let it go. Do it!'"
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Topics: Im A Celebrity, Celebrity, TV And Film, Tulisa, Reality TV, ITV, Music
Rhianna Benson