'TOWIE's' Mario Falcone has made £9k betting on sister Giovanna Fletcher's 'I'm A Celebrity' win

Giovanna Fletcher isn’t the only big winner in her family after the I’m A Celebrity final - her brother Mario Falcone has made £9,000 on betting she’d be the champion.

The Only Way Is Essex reality star, 32, had every faith his sister would win over the voting public, so much so that he put a £1,000 bet on her to win.

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Now, Falcone is raking in the cash from his punt as Fletcher was crowned the Queen of the Castle in Friday’s live grand final.

Speaking to The Sun on Friday just hours before her win was announced, he said: "I've got a cheeky bet on my sister - from day one - so I'll be pretty happy. I got nine to one odds and I put £1,000 on."

He added that he had no worries about losing the money: "Oh, she's gonna win. If she doesn't she owes me a grand."

Talking about how proud he was of his sister, Falcone said she was “exactly what 2020 needed”, praising the other finalists but saying it was Fletcher who deserved to win.

Watch: Giovanna Fletcher wins I’m A Celebrity

Fletcher beat Jordan North and Vernon Kay to the title in the first time the series has taken place at Gwrych Castle in Wales rather than the Australian jungle.

Her husband, McFly singer Tom Fletcher, posted a series of sweet videos on Instagram of their three young sons celebrating the news.

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Eldest son Buzz was shown shouting: “Mummy! Mummy won!” and laughing as she took on an eating trial that involved chewing through a fermented duck egg and a cow’s nose.

As presenters Ant and Dec told her she’d won, Fletcher, 35, said: “There are going to be three little boys just jumping up and down for joy!”

COVID restrictions had banned the other celebrities who had taken part in this year’s show joining the studio as usual for the winner announcement, meaning they had to video call in to the ceremony instead.

Afterwards, Fletcher said: "Thankfully I'm really pleased I've got Jordan and Vernon to celebrate with tonight, because that will be lovely. A proper celebration."

However, it is unlikely to have been too big a celebration as the final took place on the same day that Wales brought in new restrictions banning pubs from selling alcohol.

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