Tufnell is king of the jungle

Former England cricket star Phil Tufnell was today celebrating his I’m A Celebrity victory by enjoying the creature comforts that have been so sparse during life in the jungle.

For two weeks Tuffers wheezed and whined his way through the TV reality gameshow complaining of lack of sleep, food and cigarettes.

The 36-year-old snatched victory from former footballer John Fashanu, bowling over the majority of the 2.5 million people who voted.

Emerging from the Australian rainforest camp he gasped: “I can’t believe it, that’s unbelievable, I can’t believe it.”

He told show hosts Ant and Dec: “I only turned up for a bit of a kip for two weeks.”

The spin bowler wore his heart on his sleeve during the 15 days in the jungle.

But his nicotine cravings led him at one point to offer £500 (€698) to a cameraman for a cigarette.

“At one stage I felt my body and my mind switching off,” he said. “The group rallied round and it brings you up.

“I never had any strategy at all. It has been difficult at times obviously, but I have had a great time.

“I’m sorry to see the little jungle go, I’ve got quite attached to it.”

But he said he was now looking forward to some home comforts.

He was reunited with girlfriend Dawn, telling her over and again: “I’ve missed you so much. I love you so much.”

Red-faced Dawn said: “I think everyone’s got that, don’t you?”

But the 35-year-old blonde told Ant and Dec that her man had behaved in the jungle just as he did in normal life.

“There was no performing whatsoever,” she said.

Told that he would now be bought beer in “every pub he goes in” Phil said: “Well at least I came for a reason.”

Fash took defeat in good spirits, hugging his fellow contestants, and displaying a broad grin.

The 40-year-old TV presenter said some of the Bush Tucker trials, in which the contestants were put through their paces to win food, had been “hell”.

One test, when he had to submerge his head in a tank of live eels, was “a little bit much, that was nasty”, he said.

Moments before Phil and Fash went head-to-head, Linda Barker – the last woman inside the camp – was evicted.

The Changing Rooms star said she was “only a little bit” disappointed to fall at the final fence.

But as with all the contestants the 41-year-old found little fun in the primitive conditions.

“The food, the toilet, washing in cold water, But look at this place, it’s beautiful, we are in this great forest,” she said.

“We were really kind of put through the paces that first week when we were so hungry and there was a handful of rice.

“Sometimes you think all you need is to go home and have a hug from your man.”

But she added: “On the whole it has been a ball.”

She was reunited with 10-year-old daughter Jessica and husband Chris, who joked: “It was like watching rats in a laboratory but being married to one of the rats.”

Ten celebrities initially entered the jungle camp hoping for the kind of glory that radio DJ Tony Blackburn won on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, last year.

One-by-one actress Danniella Westbrook, dancer Wayne Sleep, chef Antony Worrall Thompson, weather presenter Sian Lloyd, actor Chris Bisson, model Catalina Guirado and actress and singer Toyah Willcox, were evicted, leaving the final three.

During trials on the last day Phil ate a live beetle, a handful of ants, meal worms and a moth pupa.

He said it was “probably the most disgusting thing I’ve ever had to do in my life”.

Linda had to transfer five slippery eels from one tank to another but only managed four within the 90-second time limit.

And Fash successfully grabbed five prize stars, which he had to reach while balancing on a rotating log, floating in a pool of water. They won a three-course meal for their efforts.

Phil’s victory could now spark a TV career for the Hertfordshire-born cricketer, already known for his droll appearances on comedy quiz shows.

Before he entered the camp he said: “I would like to move into the media, something along the lines of cricket probably, as I have been doing it for 18 years. I am also interested in TV presenting.”

But, as with all the other, he is ready for a good meal.

He moaned: “It was just like eating slop. I’ve had enough of rice and beans.”