I'm a Celebrity star GK Barry opens up about the two health issues that left her 'on the verge of death'

Social media influencer GK Barry, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has spoken out about the health battle which left her hospitalised weeks before entering the jungle.

The 25-year-old online star and podcaster discussed her struggles with tonsillitis and digestive issues, which raised concern with her management team.

Addressing why she skipped the Pride Of Britain Awards after-party last month on her Saving Grace podcast, she shared: "I've been so ill to the point where my manager got me a drip. Have you ever heard anything like it? It's giving LA. She said, 'this is enough now you're actually on the verge of death'."

GK Barry went on to describe how after finding she had pus down her throat, she sought medical advice and was given antibiotics to treat her tonsillitis. However, despite taking medication, she experienced intestinal problems - even during a live recording of ITV daytime show Loose Women on which she is a panellist.

Her manager then recommended IV treatment in an attempt to speed up her recovery, but she said this did not work as planned. She said: "I thought I'd get the drip and be like 'let's do the London marathon', we did the drip and I went for a nap. How does that work? So yeah I wouldn't suggest it."

Although she has now fully recovered, the star admitted that her manager does have some concerns about how she will cope with the demanding conditions of the famous reality show, especially when faced with a limited diet that typically consists of around 600 calories per day.

Despite these challenges, she's been intentionally nourishing herself to gain strength, saying: "Physically, I've been feeding myself up though because my manager was like 'you're not lasting'. You get I think it's like 600 calories a day, she was like you need to eat up so you've got s**t to burn.

"So I've been eating everything, creams, Chinese take-out, I've been acting like I'm on death throw actually."

Before finishing her final podcast before going in to the jungle, the influencer predicted how she'll cope in the jungle, and she’s not so sure she’ll so well. "I hate animals, I don't sleep outside, I don't like not having my phone. I don't like flying,” she said. Her final statement to her viewers was: "Why the f**k am I going to Australia? Do you know how mental that is?"

• I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of here returns for the 2024 tomorrow (Sunday November 17) and 9pm on ITV 1 and ITV X.