I’m A Celeb star Danielle Harold makes surprising admission about love life & shares her top tips for new jungle celebs
Why did Danielle not 'do a Myleene' in the jungle
BOMBSHELL Danielle Harold sets pulses racing on screen — but in real life she can’t even get a bloke to buy her a brew.
The former EastEnders actress is still single a year after appearing on I’m A Celebrity — and insists she does not even get chatted up.
The 32-year-old left her jungle campmates in hysterics when she jokingly moaned: “I can’t even get a guy to buy me a cuppa!”
And her luck has not changed.
In an exclusive interview to mark the launch of the new series of I’m a Celebrity next week, the ex-soap favourite said: “I’m still single.
“I’m a bit of a home bird so don’t go out that much.
“But, when I do, I never get chatted up.
“I had a lot of DMs when I came out of the jungle from guys asking me if I wanted a cup of tea.
“At first I thought, ‘‘What?’.
“Then I realised it was because of what I’d said and it had become this huge thing. It even became a meme.
“I was telling one of my best friends the other day, ‘Well, you’ll never guess who slipped into my DMs?’.
“She got all excited, but no, it was McVitie’s chocolate biscuits.
“She was absolutely cracking up.
“We both were. I’m not even joking.
“I’ve had Oreos get in touch with me, too.
“That’s who I’m chatting to in my DMs.”
Danielle came sixth on the ITV show last year.
Former Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson was crowned King Of The Jungle, boxer Tony Bellew came second and MP Nigel Farage was third.
She agreed to take part after leaving Albert Square in one of EastEnders’ most heartbreaking exits.
Her character, young mum Lola Pearce, died from a brain tumour in 2023 and Danielle went on to win a string of awards and critical acclaim for her performance.
Since then, she has got in the shape of her life and last week dressed up as Christina Aguilera for Halloween.
She has also been linked to a string of men, including fellow EastEnder Bobby Brazier, 21, after they were first snapped in March 2022 staring into each other’s eyes and holding hands at the National Television Awards.
She said: “Bobby is such a gent.
“He was helping me out of a car because I couldn’t walk in my heels, he absolutely saved my life.
“Thank god for Bobby as I don’t think I’d have made it to the awards.
“I’m not the best walking in heels and I don’t know what I was thinking with the pair I was wearing.
“That’s what happens when I’m trying to look all glam and sexy.
“I’ll get a pair of shoes, and then trying to walk down the red carpet in them is a whole different thing.
“Bobby is a good friend of mine and he really is amazing. I love him.”
Danielle was also pictured with Casualty actor Charles Venn, 51, who has previously appeared in East-Enders.
He had his arm around her as they headed to a star-studded bash in June at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.
But Danielle scotched rumours of a date, saying: “I’ve been friends with Chucky ever since he was on EastEnders.
“I’ve got so many amazing male friends that I’m lucky. It makes me laugh when these things happen.”
‘KEEP YOUR DECORUM’
And Danielle revealed she has no plans to go on dating apps, including celebrity favourite Raya, to find a fella.
She added: “I’ve never been on any dating apps. It’s just not me.
“I would never do anything like that. I’m just very much enjoying my single life.
“I’m so lucky to be in this industry and work, and I’m really enjoying just being with my girls.”
But one thing she is planning to do is watch the new crop of celebrities in the jungle, including Wag Coleen Rooney, Love Island star Maura Higgins, McFly’s Danny Jones, Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall and Strictly dancer Oti Mabuse.
And she gave her advice to this year’s participants after Nigel Farage stripped off for showers and baths, leaving viewers shocked.
She said: “You’ve got to keep your bikini on. You have to keep your decorum in there.”
While many expected Danielle to be the show’s “sexy shower babe”, she recalls how the number of frogs in the jungle stopped her from “doing a Myleene Klass”.
The musician and presenter famously stripped down to a white bikini in 2006 as she stood under the waterfall shower.
Danielle said: “Obviously the jungle is known for the shower scene.
“I remember, before I went in, everyone kept talking about me in the shower.
“When I went in there, I quickly realised that I wasn’t going to be that girl in the shower. It is right in the middle of the jungle.
“That shower was not for me.
“I don’t know how every girl, every year, has made it look so glamorous and sexy, because I was cowering in the corner.
“There were so many of these little green frogs all stuck around my shampoo and conditioner bottle.
“I started talking to them. ‘Hey boys, do you mind? Can I have a bit of privacy?’.
“I’m not sure how every year that shower looks so glamorous.
“Obviously, I saw the bath. And I love a bath. It became a bit of a running joke because I was always in there.”
Danielle said the experience of being completely natural in the jungle made her feel more relaxed about her appearance.
And while she enjoys getting herself all glammed up for glitzy events, she is just as happy in a pair of tracksuit bottoms and slippers.
She said: “Going into the jungle is definitely a shock to the system.
“It’s part of your routine. You do your make-up in the morning and go about your day.
“There was nothing like that.
“But it was so nice, especially in this industry, to be so stripped back and be on TV every night.
‘COMFORTABLE IN MYSELF’
“It definitely made me care a lot less about my appearance when I came out.
“My make-up bag wasn’t the first thing I went for — it was food.
“Most of the time I’m walking around in my pyjamas, or my tracksuit bottoms and slippers.
“But I’m so comfortable in myself. I’m a lot more comfortable in my thirties than I was in my twenties.”
Danielle joined EastEnders as Lola when she was 18.
And with the soap celebrating its 40th anniversary next year, she is proud to have been a part of its journey.
Before she left, Danielle filmed a number of “milestone videos” for her on-screen daughter Lexi, played by Isabella Brown, and husband Jay Brown, portrayed by Jamie Borthwick, to be played at different times throughout the series.
Last month, viewers watched as Jay played a special video from Lola wishing him a happy 30th birthday.
Since leaving Walford, Danielle has filmed Celebrity Hunted for Channel 4, which is due to hit our screens after Christmas, and Richard Osman’s BBC Two quiz show House of Games.
‘LOVELY MESSAGES’
Danielle said of her time on the soap: “It’s amazing.
“It’s like when a family member has a birthday, I feel so proud to have been a small part of EastEnders’ history.
“I filmed quite a few videos and I’m not sure how many more they have, as it feels like such a long time ago now.
“It’s nice when Lola pops up as I get so many lovely messages.”
Danielle filmed Celebrity Hunted with her pal Kimberly Hart-Simpson — Coronation Street’s Nicky Wheatley.
She said of her mate: “She is just brilliant.
“We had the best time, but were like the budget version of Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton in reality show The Simple Life.
“I’m so excited to watch it.”
As she prepares to tune in to I’m A Celebrity next week, Danielle said of her own jungle stint: “I can’t believe it’s been a year.
“It is one of those shows that I didn’t think about preparing for. We all just had a great time.
“We are all still in a WhatsApp group and in touch. But what we haven’t done yet is dinner.”