Rita Simons has said she has kept her stint on I’m A Celebrity a secret from her uncle Lord Sugar.

The former EastEnders star is heading into the Australian jungle for the challenging ITV show but, like all the contestants, has been keeping the news under wraps.

“We’ve had to keep coming into the jungle a secret and so, no, I haven’t told my uncle yet,” she said.

“But I bet you he will watch it!”

Lord Sugar on a TV show
Lord Sugar (PA)

Simons said her fellow EastEnder Larry Lamb convinced her to do the reality programme after appearing on it himself in 2016.

“Larry is like my dad and he is always advising me,” she said. “He said he couldn’t advise me more to do it as he had the best time ever.”

The actress said her husband and daughters are excited that she is joining the camp.

“My kids would be gutted if I didn’t do it,” she said. “And my husband thinks I should get on and do it like I do with everything in life. But it’s going to be so weird not being able to talk to them.”

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! starts on Sunday November 18 on ITV.