i'm a celebrity jack vidgen

Jack From ‘I’m A Celebrity’ On Being His Authentic Self & Dropping A Collab W/ Paulini

Tell us you love Punkee without telling us you love Punkee. Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. It'll mean the world.

There’s no denying that Jack Vidgen has been the breakout star of this season’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

From teaching Dipper to say “Yes bitch!” to his cute friendship with Abbie Chatfield, and teaming up with Paulini to entertain us all, Jack has been great value as a camp mate. This made it all the more devastating when he became the first celeb to be evicted in last night’s challenge.

Sadly, Jack failed to correctly count the number of rats in a pen (it happens to the best of us!), so was sent flying up into the sky via a rather savage ejection button. As a fan favourite, viewers were not quite coping with his unexpected departure.

While Jack is no stranger to reality TV, first making his debut on Australia’s Got Talent then returning to the spotlight on The Voice, we saw a very different side of the talented singer on I’m A Celebrity. We chatted with the recent evictee to reflect on his time in the jungle and the positive reception he’s received from fans.

We spoke to Jack Vidgen about his experiences on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

On that truly brutal ejection:

“We didn’t really know how high up in the air they were going to throw you, we just knew we were going to end up in the pond. So we assumed we were going to be thrown backwards, but yeah, it happened very quickly. It wasn’t really scary, I felt like I did scarier things in there. You just got thrown backwards and then had to swim to shore, it was funny more than anything. It was fun.”

On his blossoming friendship with Abbie:

“What I knew of her was just based on the ads from The Bachelor, so that’s all I knew of Abbie. It was so great getting to know her more and more, and we’re in contact every day now since the show. She’s a gorgeous soul, I love everything she stands for, and it was fabulous getting to know her.”

On his bond with fellow singer Paulini:

“I think we click on a level that for us is almost spiritual, which is music. We’ve known each other for a few years and seen each other at gigs, so I’ve known Paulini for quite a while. It was great getting to know each other on a deeper level, and we just really clicked,” Jack told us.

“It was so touching [seeing her reaction to his elimination]. Whenever you hear people talking about you, it’s so heartwarming, and lovely, and genuine to watch.”

On whether he and Paulini are going to drop a cover of ‘Amazing Grace’:

“We had brunch the other day, and we’ve definitely talked about it. But we’ve both got music coming out at some stage this year, so it will have to be a conversation down the track.”

On his surprising bond with Dipper:

“I’ve never really formed a relationship with an older ex-footy player. It was an unlikely relationship, and it was really lovely. I’ve said this multiple times before but having an older straight male start up a conversation like, “Do you have a boyfriend” or “When did you come out?” and it be so genuine and kind-spirited, it was really powerful.”

On how he’s become a role model to young people struggling to embrace their sexualities:

“It’s totally an honour. I’ve had people who I’ve watched, grown up with and seen come out. You know, everyone has such a different journey. I had a really fortunate experience, because everyone was so chill. It was really great, but a lot of people don’t get that [reaction]. It’s nice to shine some light on the positives of coming out and how freeing it is. But everyone should do it in their own timing.”

On young fans reaching out to him:

“There’s been an overwhelming amount of messages from young people who are gay, straight, bi, everything in between, and they’re just giving love, and saying thank you for being you. It’s just the ultimate compliment, as all we can do is be ourselves, and that’s what this show has allowed me to do,” Jack said.

“People’s reactions have been beautiful. I’ve had such an overwhelming amount of love and support during the show. I think one of the great things is you just get to be yourself, and people have enjoyed that and like me — which is the biggest compliment ever.”

On how I’m A Celebrity allowed him to show his true self:

“During Australia’s Got Talent and The Voice, it’s about singing…it was all about getting people to believe what I was singing, that was the journey of The Voice. But with I’m a Celebrity, I could just be myself. I wasn’t trying to promote anything or say something because I wanted to win, it was just about going in and giving it your all, and being your authentic self,” he said.

“It was different to what I expected. I think coming out of it, I’m a lot prouder of myself and I’m just so happy that it’s so true to who we are. It’s the least edited show that I’ve been a part of and that I know of. It’s such a breath of fresh air, especially for TV.”