ITV I'm A Celebrity star Tulisa Contostavlos's famous dad and 'incredibly tough' childhood
I'm A Celebrity star Tulisa Contostavlos has been showing viewers a softer side during her time in the jungle. The star shot to fame with band N-Dubz alongside her cousin Dappy and ex boyfriend Fazer.
Together, they achieved platinum-certified albums, five MOBO awards and 13 top 40 singles. Tulisa went on to become a huge star, even juding on The X Factor. But the 36-year-old star has faced tough times outside of her career, particularly in her childhood.
Tulisa's dad Plato Contostavlos, who was the keyboardist for the band Mungo Jerry - best known for their hit In the Summertime, split from her mum Ann when she was nine. Ann, who has bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act when Tulisa was just five.
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In her 2010 BBC documentary, Tulisa: My Mum and Me, she shared how her mother’s illness had made her upbringing so difficult that she rebelled. She attempted suicide several times and started drinking, taking drugs and even joined a gang.
Tulisa admitted in the documentary: "One of the worst things about dealing with my mum was how helpless and alone I felt at such a vulnerable age. The doctors didn't seem to be able to stabilise my mother's moods and I felt myself being dragged further and further down by the environment I was forced to live in."
She added: "I was 11 and my mum expected me to be her emotional support but I didn't really understand what that was. It was incredibly tough. Sometimes I would spend weeks taking her back and forward to A&E and then finally they would admit her and she'd be in hospital for up to three months.
"I started losing respect for my mum. She couldn't take care of herself so I didn't see how she thought she could take care of me. She didn't want my friends in the house and didn't want me to go out. I started missing school and got in with a bad crowd."