'I'm A Celebrity' 2022: Who is Boy George? 80s icon joining this year's line-up

Watch out I'm A Celebrity jungle – it looks like you're in for a riot with Boy George taking part in this year's competition.

The larger-than-life 80s icon has already given himself a little extra sparkle by giving his jungle uniform a makeover before even entering camp, the first campmate to do so in the show's history.

Read more: 'I'm a Celebrity' 2022 cast: Full list of contestants, from Matt Hancock to Mike Tindall

But will he be able to handle what the show has in store for him?

Here's everything you need to know about the star and why he decided to take part...

Who is Boy George?

Boy George was born George Alan O'Dowd on June 14th, 1961. He was raised in Eltham, and was the second of five children of an Irish Catholic family, led by father Jerry and mother Dinah.

Influenced by the likes of David Bowie and T-Rex's Marc Bolan, he soon began performing. His most prominent band, Culture Club, were formed in 1981.

Completed by Jon Moss, Roy Hay and Mikey Craig, Culture Club became a music phenomenon and remain synonymous of the 80s. Their most notable hits are 'Karma Chameleon' and 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?' and are heavily influenced by reggae and glam rock.

Read more: Boy George looking for 'brave' actor to play him as he gives biopic update

During that time, Boy George stood out prominently due to his androgynous sense of style, which often raised questions about his sexuality at a time where homosexuality was not allowed to be publicly spoken about.

Throughout the 80s, Boy George would claim to be bisexual, however he would later state he was always gay.

Following the end of Culture Club's initial in 1986, Boy George would continue to expand his career into solo projects, DJing and other bands. In 2015, he was awarded an Ivor Novello for his outstanding contribution to British music.

He has been outspoken about his addiction to drugs, which included heroin, which saw him arrested for possession in 1986. Following the death of three close friends that same year, he began seeking treatment.

However, his drug issues would continue over the next 20 years before finally working on his sobriety in 2008. This would include a flash imprisonment conviction and other arrests for possession which were later dropped.

“I got sober in 2008. March the 2nd, 2008. I know the date exactly. I always think of that day as ‘the day that I became sane,’” George told Yahoo Entertainment in 2015, at the start of Culture Club’s comeback tour. “I planned to be sane at 40, but it took seven more years of research for me to reach a point where I was like, ‘OK, this is not working.'”

What has Boy George said about joining 'I'm A Celebrity' 2022?

Like everything Boy George undertakes, the star is fearless when it comes to being on I'm A Celebrity – once he was convinced to take part.

Speaking ahead of the show's launch, he said: "I watch I’m A Celebrity every year and I had to think long and hard about this. But I feel like I am in a very fertile creative moment in my life.

"I am in a moment of rediscovery of who I am as a person, artist and older man and I feel like I do make a lot of effort to be in pop culture.

"I am bored of being iconic in the corner and if you want to compete in the world, then being part of telly is part of that. This is the biggest show on TV and that is why I am doing it."

Read more: I'm A Celebrity: Fans question Boy George's different jungle uniform to other contestants

"Now I have made the decision, I don’t want to focus too much on what the experience might be like, but my intention is it is going to be amazing," he continued.

"It’s three weeks without make-up and three weeks is nothing. I have just done seven weeks on tour.”

I'm A Celebrity starts Sunday at 9pm on ITV.

WATCH: 'I’m a Celebrity' 2022 lineup revealed including Chris Moyles and Boy George