I'm A Celeb star shares 'intense' side effect of appearing on show

Former BBC Breakfast star Louise Minchin has penned her first novel, drawing inspiration from her time on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! which had an unexpected twist.

Louise, who was part of the I'm A Celeb crew in 2021 and explored different historical eras on Time Crashers in 2015, has based her thriller, 'Isolation Island', on her experiences during the show, particularly when Storm Arwen caused the evacuation of the celebs from their Welsh castle abode.

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"We were all evacuated in the dead of night and sent into little Airbnbs across north Wales," she recounted. "The storm was very dramatic. It took I'm A Celeb off air. We were in one strange environment and then thrown into another with no access to the world."

She also described another intense moment: "One of my vivid memories is waking up in the morning when it's quiet, and you're the only person awake, and then you sit up and you hear the camera whir and focus on you. So there's a real sense of being controlled. For me, it was very intense."

Initially envisioning her protagonist, investigative journalist Lauren, within a newsroom setting, Louise altered her concept following her stint on reality TV, reports the Mirror.

"I'm a massive fan of reality shows. I love I'm A Celebrity and I love that they always have a cast of characters and I loved the idea of being able to makeup my own cast of characters," she explained.

Having endured the challenges, cravings and conflicts that make reality TV so enthralling, Louise Minchin's thoughts carry some weight. "The feeling I hope you get from the book is that feeling of intense scrutiny. You are being watched all the time. Everything you do and say is being watched. There's a sense of claustrophobia and isolation from family and friends."

Since her departure from BBC Breakfast three years ago, Louise, aged 56, has embraced her role as an author, although occasionally covering for Lorraine Kelly on ITV's 'Lorraine'. She welcomes the end of relentless news cycles and early starts at 3.40am which wore her down.

While Louise rules out Strictly citing her lack of dance skills, she confesses, "I'm desperate to do Race Across The World. It's tough in a wonderful way because of the relationships we see forming."

Now based in Chester, Louise might have another page-turner in progress; however, she's not giving up on TV just yet. "If the right show came along, I'd be very happy," she says.

"But I'm also very happy writing."