Tom Williams has exited I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here Australia.
While chatting to hosts Julia Morris and Dr Chris Brown, tears poured down his face and he choked on his words. The show had “changed his life”.
For viewers who had watched Williams’ journey in the jungle, it was a far cry from the shirtless, sparkly presenter who won the 2005 season of Dancing With The Stars. This “new” Tom seemed broken. Heartbreakingly emotional.
The father-of-two was pushed to the limit and made to face his fears — but it wasn’t just the snakes (a severe phobia he had all his life and made to face in the jungle) he had to face.
Williams had to conquer another fear. Himself.
During an interview with TheLatch—, direct from the South African jungle, the 49-year-old was raw and honest, and quite honestly, beautiful.
For Tom, “seeing me cry and at my worst, and seeing me broken” was “probably the lowest point” in his life — and doing it in front of a national audience was not something he thought he’d do.
“A lot of people probably prefer to do that in a confined space with a professional and I just let it all hang out,” Williams admitted.
“I think its personally something that had to come to the forefront and it was about time. Did I time it? No I didn’t. Did I preempt it? No I didn’t. I entered into this experience knowing full well that this was potentially going to be the moment of my greatest undoing.”
Williams’ vulnerability was somewhat surprising, but he was firm on the fact that he didn’t “want a medal” for breaking down.
“I don’t want an accolade,” he said. “I don’t want someone to say, ‘jeez dude, that was awesome’ because if it encourages just one bloke to go ‘I’m hitting it just as hard as he is hitting it’, well then great.”
“Firstly, for a grown man to get out there and put themselves on the line is a lot. There are a lot of people in that camp that are flying the flag for R U OK, and if I’ve made it easier for a male out there to bring his emotions to the forefront, whether it is a mental health case or whether it is a fear or a phobia, well maybe I’ve just saved a little piece of somebody.”
Speaking about his experience on I’m A Celeb, Williams was at a loss for words and it here that he broke down.
“I had loads of people in the camp to pick me up from that moment,” he said referring to the snake pit challenge.
“I had loads of people come around me and say ‘it’s OK, you know’, and that gratitude will never leave. Whether it’s a ghost, whether it’s losing a loved one, whether it’s a sick child — it was just a silly snake.”
The TV hosts’ relationship with the other campers was something to be admired, especially with chef Miguel Maestre.
But while he had the support of his friends in the jungle, the most important people were waiting for him at home – his wife Rachel and his two young daughters, Sloane and Storm.
As to what he wants to teach “his girls” after this experience?
“Just be great girls,” he said.
“I just want to be alongside them. Just make sure they’re covered in love. I live in a girl’s world. I have the most amazing wife and the most amazing kids. Outside what I’ve just been in, I live in a women’s world and it’s just me.
“They’re all just little girls and I have to, kind of grow up. And you know, be there for them and do that well. I just want to be a better man. And I hope I can do that well. I just want to be a better dad and a better man. That’s all.”
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