Welcome back to TV Reload. This is my fourth bonus episode featuring a quick chap with I'm a celebrity's latest dejectee. Former goggle boxer Simon love It. Australia fell in love with Simon during his time on goggle Box, proving that Burton Ernie had found a new life in Adam and Simon. Their undeniable mateship and an ability to call it like it is has one over Australian audiences for up to five years, shocking us all when they finished their time
on the LOGI Award winning program goggle Box. The boys certainly have a thirst for life and a shared love of footy, which for most blokes in this country is like peas and carrots or should I say a four and twenty PI with sauce. But right now, Simon, without his mate Adam, is set to answer all the questions that you want to know from his time in the jungle. I'd like to welcome to the show Simon Love It.
I was definitely strange at the start. They are famous for being watched watching TV and it's weird because you don't know what your reception is going to be. These are best mates Adam and Simon. I don't think we ever expect did anyone to know who we were. Simon still lives at home. We don't actually spend all of our time together in a no wracking because you've been going back rude the archives to work out what you've said about us.
Over the years.
I'm Google box, ma. That's what the show's good because it's like different people. And how are you going to interact Simon.
You are out of the jungle and safe to eat food that's not disgusting. How is your experience on I'm a celebrity. Get me out of here, mate.
It is finished. It's done. It was it was. It was pretty good. It was pretty good. I mean, look, I'm not the best cook, so some of the stuff in there that we ate was better than what I would be eating at home. So that's fine.
You're the first person in the history of the world to say the food is better in the jungle.
I was dinner by Fastinich every night. That is a least. People are playing big dollars for that type of stuff and I just sit there. I mean, look, we had braised meats a lot, which was that's fine. Braised meats are good and look there was different on the trial. The trial food was a bit. I mean the problem with the trial food was there wasn't enough of it. I was just left being a little hungry or dirvs not good.
Well, you've never had to worry about your weight. Were you sad to leave Adam behind in the jungle?
Yeah, definitely. Differently, I didn't think I would be as sad as I was, not because I don't like him. Because I do like him, here's my mate. But I thought on that day I was like, no, you know what I've seen Adam. He's flying along in here. He's having a really good time. He said, he's comfortable. I've had a really good time. I'm okay if I go. But then as soon as I hit the water, I was like, no, I want to be back in this sucks. I want to be back in the jungle. It was very short lived pleasure.
I think all of Australia felt more of the concern than you guys did, because for us it was like Burt and Ernie being removed from each other, which is so stressful.
Absolutely absolutely, like everyone's like are they going to be okay? It's like, guys, we don't actually spend all of our time together. We don't work at the place, so we're okay, we will be okay.
A lot has Ben said about you guys in the media regarding the reception of you arriving in camp. How did you navigate that and did you feel like, you know, the behavior of the celebrities was a little unjust.
It was definitely strange at the start, and it's weird because you don't know what your reception is going to be. They were a bit flat.
We came during the middle of lunchtime, so everyone's like, guys, we're eating, Sorry.
Can you come back? And like an hour. I don't think we ever expected anyone to know who we were, Like we just sat on a couch and you know, on Gogglebox we were tiny snippets. So the fact that people wouldn't know who we were, that's not the concern. You just kind of want to fit in and be okay. So and you know, going in later in the piece, you know that you're always going to have those troubles.
Connections have been formed, people are in a really nice routine, and I think us coming in when we came in just really heightened for everybody in there that they have absolutely no control with what's going on. Jack left the day before, so they're all thinking, Okay, I guess we're leaving. I guess we're getting ready to the end. And then two new people are in and it's like, well that that kind of doesn't match up with what we thought.
And you can see the faces of like Grant and Paulini and like their mouths are just wide open, and then you know, so with context, I think it's all appropriate.
You know, you goggle box this show before, so like you're very familiar with the format. What was the experience like being actually in the show compared to what you'd watched previously.
I mean, I said it on this show. I don't think you got on though, but I was talking to someone and it felt like we were at almost like a real life Madam Two Swords of the show, like we were riding the ride of the I'm a Celebrity show where you get to walk in and it's interactive
and you're like, oh, what is going on here? Like I'll talk to you and ask a question, and like it was almost like Westworld, but I'm a Celebrity version where you walk in and you can be a part of it and people talk back to you, and then you talk back to them.
I just love the West World reference because I know that show really well and so it's kind of again, know how you can imagine it. So the girls Evey and Angie both competed in the series previously, so this wasn't the first goggle Box celebrities to have see in there. But did the girls offer you any advice before going in?
No? Nothing, didn't hear anything going in heard. Angie messaged me after and said like, hey, you did great job, super proud of you. Well done, which was really nice because she didn't have to do that, but she didn't. I appreciated it. So but no, nothing beforehand, But that's kind of good. You don't want people to spoil the surprise. You don't want to taint to you what you think it's going to be or your expectation.
Well, I guess that leads to the question did you keep this experience a secret from your goggle Box family? Did you let anyone know?
No one. I told my girlfriend because we lived together, so she would notice that I was away for love Week.
I'm going to get the milk.
Exactly exactly, just a gungry I'll be back, So I told her, and then I think I told my mom, my mum and my dad just because for the same reason my mum would call and it was my girlfriend actually was looking after my Instagram while we were in there, and I got out and there was we've got a mate getting married and he's texting me. He's like, some, I really need you to RSVP and then he's messaging Instagram.
So Gab is messaging via Instagram as me like, oh, hey, legend, sorry mate, been a bit busy, like using all of the words I said, like ridiculous, it was great.
How many days we're gone for?
So we were gone for well, we're in the jungle for I was in there for six days, but because of where it was and we're from Melbourne, so we had to fly up and quarantine for weeks and then you go into a holding room or like a holding house for about a week or so, and then and then from there then you go in. So we were away for like a month, which.
Is kind of a long time. It's hard for her to continuously keep it up that she is you.
Yeah, yeah, exactly, what's a hey, legend? Hey, bro, what's that name? Hey?
Knowing I live for stuff like this. You know, it's been reported over the last twenty four hours that you guys weren't really eager to do reality television. Is there any truth that you guys had said to your management that you know, you weren't a big fan of these sorts of shows or this wasn't something that you really wanted to do.
Nah, not at all. We were kind of the ones that teed it up. And then a manager, Millie, who is an absolute legend. She just did all of the contract work once we kind of put forward that we were keen. Yeah, she took the reins from there. So no, no, no truth in that at all. That was really weird when I heard that.
Kind of a strange question. But you know, with the you guys being so well known from goggle Box, can you give a referral to the next family or the next person that should go into the jungle, because you know, come on, we're going to see more hopefully.
Can you imagine Maddy, Sarah and jad in the jungle? Has to be? Does it like? It would be so good? Because I think Maddie and Sarah would dominate obviously, she'd just be like, Yep, no worries, let's get on with it. But then jad Nematulla, Oh, it would be the best. It would be the best. He'd have rig out all the time. He'd be like ash style and he'd just the grooming. I don't know what he'd do. I'd love to see how he questions, like a mirror or tweezers or whatever he needs out of it.
Maybe m Silbury could go in as well, and you know, she could be the oldest person, someone in their nineties in the jungle.
Mate, How good would that be? Mate? She'd win, m Silbury would win. Unfair to put.
Her in, dip Her and Grant Regarding this ris to Barkle, which you saw live, Yeah, whose side are you on? Who side are you on?
With this? Ah? Mate? I actually ate it? So it was fine, Like there's a little clip on there when the highlights come through and eye it cuts to me and I go, oh, it tastes kind of ruty. But everyone else is kind of like, oh, this is disgusting. But I'm like it tastes kind of fruity in a good way, like, oh, a bit of flavor, you beauty. So I was just a bit kind of really caught me off guard when that blew up. I'm standing, I'm like, why are we fighting? What's what's happening here? Why we
was upset about what? I kind of missed it. I was a bit naive to the whole thing.
I do you think I was out of place and saying that maybe if if if we.
Went out a plasure, you just felt what you just show what you felt. It's okay we did. None of us want to lose an entire meal. That's all for show. One more time. I'll come to see you over there. Look, if you see burning rice, should you pick it up? Maybe? If you're putting right, should you go to sleep? Probably not. So maybe I'm going to walk a diplomatic tight rope and go Maybe they're both it felt, man, they could have been going at each other.
Some people watching the show was like Grant called out Dipper, you know, calling him out. Maybe it was that a bit bitchy. Was that a bit of a hard thing to do. Had Grant had not done that, maybe the whole thing would have gone unnoticed.
Yeah, for sure. And I think it's always a consideration, especially something around that feelings are on tenderhooks. So maybe it's the way you kind of go about it. So maybe with Big Dip, you know he's a proud man, he maybe just pull him across to the side and say, hey, because the rice is already burnt, so it's not going to be unburnt. So you just go with it gently and you go, hey, Dip, maybe just on the rice and you know, you just have it maybe a little
bit more private. I think that's probably where Dipper was a bit more hurt. It was just like the public forum of it.
I just like older people from the different generation how they enter into debates really differently, Like Dip is just like I'm some people be like, oh, I can't fight with Grant Daniel. He's the host of family Feud, where Dippers like, let's go just going to call you out. Yeah, I'm going to fight you on this one, mate.
That's what the show's good because it's like different people and how you're going to interact and what's going to happen. And it was it was wide when it happened. You're just like, what's happening here? Why are you guys fighting? It's burnt, right, Let's just chill a little, but you know, they'd been in there a bit longer they were, they'd gone a little bit more crazy.
Last year we heard that you guys were ready to do a new footy show, which a lot of people were very excited about for Foxtel, is I know and COVID swallowed so many jobs for so many people. Which is really disappointing is their plans that that show may re emerge and can maybe you tell us what we missed out on, Like what was really that show going to be?
Like, yeah, so it was going to be it was called Premierships and Footy Trips, and it was about talking to players of the generation that I watched, which is nineties into early two thousands, and just talking about those urban legend stories that happened off the field, because you hear whispers and rumors of these footy trips and what happens and what goes on and how did you celebrate a premiership And it was just going to get a collection of different people through the ages to tell us
those stories. But then, as you said, COVID kind of struck that down and then this year we'll see, you know, the AFL season is still pretty crazy at the moment, just with restrictions going into Sydney and having people fly back, So I think Fox Foody will be figuring out their schedules. Make fingers crossed. We get a phone call did.
You get to do like a little a preview episode, a bit of a sampler with did you pull Dipper aside and go? Because you boys remember all of that stuff which is really the magic behind the premise of that show. Did you get to live that sort of dream a little bit? And asked Dipperson questions about his career.
So we didn't. Yeah, well, I mean dipp has got stories for days, so you can just kind of be like, diep, what about this? What about this? A little set up of premierships and footy trips? And look, had we consulted with you earlier.
He's still in the jungle talking about those He's still in the jungle telling those stories. You asked him a question in November exactly exactly.
We should have consulted with you first, because we should have got an episode up. We had Travaco, we had Dipper ready to go. We sat them on the stool and gone, right, this is it. We're going to have two f's of premierships and footy trips jungle.
Style ready to Go. My last question for you is, had the format involved nominations, like a nominations process, can you say who you would have given one point to save and one point to have.
I would have saved, well, Adam, surely you know, surely come on, although you know maybe or not, I don't know. And then one person to leave. I don't know, maybe like Trev Varco because I love him so much, and like I knew how much he missed his kids, and like that letter from home, like how much he just wanted to see Frankie and talk to her. So I probably wouldn't have felt as bad if he was going home,
because I know he would have been happy. Whereas, like you know, you give it to you like a dipper or a grand or someone. I mean, all of those guys really, you know, they were all missing home so much. I don't think anyone would have been too unhappy at that point to go home. So I think you could probably send it everywhere. How is that I gave you kind of half an answer.
I just love how diplomatic you are. It's like you get you're the first person, and I think we're up to episode four, so you're the fourth ejected person and you answer the question, so we'll give you a point for that. But you did basically what I did in Big and that was I worked out with nominations. I never nominated anyone for anything serious. I said, I nominate Sam because he's like a vanilla latte and I'm lactose intolerant and so yes.
So I was like, oh, look, I might give everyone a vote because they wanted it. Yeah.
I swept sad that he missed his children. I wanted him to be reunited with them.
It's a good thing, exactly. Look, I'm just a good guy. This is what it is. Mate.
We absolutely love watching on the show. Thanks so much for your time of being generous to chat with me and have a few laughs. We can't wait to see that footy show get up and running because you know, I think there's a real need for it, and people obviously really enjoy seeing you and Adam on the screen together. It's magic TV.
No, I appreciate it. Thank you for having him on. I've liked it. Very good chat, very fun