King Joe enjoys life outside jungle

Joe Pasquale is enjoying his first day free from the trials of the jungle today after winning I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

The 43-year-old comic defeated butler Paul Burrell and nightclub boss Fran Cosgrave to be crowned King of the Jungle.

He emerged from the camp to tell Ant and Dec that the contest had been “an experience” before receiving his crown from Tara Palmer-Tomkinson.

His final Bushtucker trial, in which he was placed in a underground chamber with rats, was the most difficult challenge, he said.

And the two emus he befriended were one of his favourite things about the show. “It’s not normal, though, is it?” he asked. “They got me through the last couple of weeks … I genuinely liked being with them, I don’t know why, we used to go in the jungle together sometimes just to have a chat.”

Acid-tongued journalist Janet Street-Porter terrified him at first but the pair soon became friends, he said.

Earlier, an emotional Paul, who was on the verge of tears before the announcement, cried when told how popular he had been with the British public.

“It’s beyond my wildest dreams … it has restored by faith in the British public, in human nature, thank you,” he told Ant and Dec.

Paul described his experience on the show as “incredible”, but said his final trial, where he was forced to eat grubs, was the hardest.

He also said he enjoyed his arguments with Janet, who was voted off the previous night.

Earlier, Fran said he was not surprised when told he was the seventh celebrity to leave the camp.

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever, ever done,” he said, adding that he never thought he would last 17 days on the show.

The finalists were pushed to the limit on their final day, with three gruesome Bushtucker trials.