Steps singer Claire Richards has said she was “too thin” to be accepted for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.
The pop star said producers of the ITV reality show wanted her to be “fat” in order to take part.
Richards claimed that she was turned down for a spot once producers realised she had lost weight.
The singer has struggled with her weight, and took part in a BBC Three programme which followed her pre-wedding weight loss efforts in 2009.
Speaking on the podcast, Official Charts: Take The Hit, she said losing weight affected her chances of travelling to the I’m A Celebrity jungle.
She said: “I went for a meeting (with I’m A Celebrity) once, a long, long time ago.
“But it was a time when I’d just lost quite a lot of weight but they didn’t realise that I had.
“They wanted me to be fat apparently, that was the excuse I got back, that I was too thin.”
#tbt to when I signed A LOT of albums for you gorgeous lot! Can’t believe #mywildestdreams has been out in the world for 2 and a half months already. If you haven’t had a listen yet then I urge you to because i think you’ll be pleasantly surprised 😃💋💗 pic.twitter.com/8G0exTYbo1
— Claire Richards (@_ClaireRichards) April 18, 2019
She added: “I’m glad, because I watch it on TV now and I love it but I know I wouldn’t last two seconds.”
Richards has taken part in Popstar To Operastar, appeared on Loose Women, competed on Celebrity Big Brother, and eaten fire on the talent show Get Your Act Together.
She said: “I did go through a period of time where I just decided that I was going to do stuff that came my way even if it terrified the life out of me. Hence why I was on telly eating fire.”
An ITV spokeswoman said: “I’m A Celebrity would never cast campmates based on their shape or size – all celebrities are assessed for their suitability to life in the jungle.”
The full interview with Richards is available on the Acast network’s Official Charts: Take The Hit podcast, which asks stars about hit UK songs.