Yahoo News I'm a Celeb star talks missing her boyfriend in jungle
With the new series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! kicking off tonight (November 18), the fresh batch of victims stars taking part are probably feeling pretty nervous right now.
One thing that the campmates always struggle with is leaving behind loved ones and Coronation Street star Sair Khan is no different.
Sair, who plays Alya Nazir in the ITV soap, has been dating Our Girl and Grantchester actor Simon Lennon since December 2017 and she has admitted that it was tough heading to the jungle without him.
"It was really emotional leaving him, but I was like, 'Babe, this is an amazing adventure. Don't worry, we're going to see each other in a month'," she told Digital Spy. "I'm going to miss him, but it's not like I'm going away forever."
The couple might miss each other but it sounds like Simon is very much on board with Sair's temporary move to the jungle.
"I'm A Celebrity is his favourite programme on telly, so he's over the moon," Sair said. "I had no idea that it was his favourite programme because he only told me after I got it.
"I was like, 'Are you joking?' And he was like, 'No. I've watched every single series. I know it inside out.' He is so excited about coming to Australia."
😆🙌❤️ 🕷🐛🐊 https://t.co/nU685yVS8p
- Simon Lennon (@SiLennon) November 12, 2018
The actress has also revealed that she and Simon had a rather royal start to their relationship.
"We met at Buckingham Palace. We were both members of the National Youth Theatre and they have a big gala to celebrate their 60th anniversary," she said.
"A load of ex-members were invited to that evening at Buckingham Palace, so we met through a mutual friend that he's in Our Girl with. Sadly, the Queen wasn't there."
Sair may be busy eating bugs for the next few weeks but she's revealed that she'll have plenty to do when she returns to the cobbles, as there are big things coming up for Alya in the New Year.
"I've had chats with [producer] Iain [MacLeod] and I know a few ideas that he had – but I don't really know which one they're going to lead with; which one they're going to go with," she said.
"I'm definitely excited about next year and I know I'm going be quite busy at the beginning of next year. As soon as I finish this, it's going to be pretty hectic for me, going back into work."
Sair will be seen entering the I'm a Celeb camp alongside fellow celebrities James McVey, John Barrowman, Emily Atack, Fleur East, Anne Hegerty, Nick Knowles, Harry Redknapp and Malique Thompson-Dwyer.
It sounds like they'll be facing some tough challenges immediately, as they've already been split into two camps and they'll be competing from the get-go.
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! kicks off its new series on Sunday (November 18) at 9pm on ITV.
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