Cyclone Miguel sets course for I'm a Celebrity camp

MIGUEL Maestre's biggest fear about going into the South African jungle has nothing to do with creepy crawlies or poisonous snakes.

The chef and restaurateur, best known for his role on the Logie-winning lifestyle show The Living Room, is the first famous face to be officially unmasked as a cast member on Ten's reality series I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.

"I'm scared nobody will understand what I'm saying," the Spaniard tells The Guide.

"I'm very full-on, so I hope my effervescence isn't too much for people. I'm on all the time, so I hope it doesn't get on people's nerves when they're hungry. My strategy is to make the food (in camp) the best it can be."

The survival game show, now in its sixth season, follows celebrities living together in a jungle camp with few creature comforts as they compete in challenges to earn more food and luxuries.

Miguel Maestre at Flemington Racecourse in a scene from The Living Room. — Miguel Maestre will need to draw on all his skills as a chef to make something tasty out of the basic staples supplied on I'm A Celebrity. Channel 10

Aside from giving up his beloved coffee, Miguel says his biggest hurdle will be a mental one.

"On The Living Room I've jumped out of planes and swum with sharks and crocodiles. I've done every crazy thing so I'm not scared of the challenges at all," he says. "I'm an immigrant so I also have thick skin. I started from nothing washing dishes in Scotland 18 years ago.

"The hardest part for me will be losing contact with my children (Morgan, 5, and Claudia, 8) and my wife. I've never been away from my little ones this long."

View this post on Instagram

Well this is it!!!! On May way to one of the craziest and more exciting adventures in the planet @imacelebrityau in @meetsouthafrica It was very emotional leaving home this morning Get behind the #Maestrearmy on my quest to raise awareness for mental health in Australia ... for all my colleagues chefs and everyone that has lost the battle with mental health I’m doing this for you in your honor and to get australia talking and asking the question @ruokday for getting rid of stigma and win the battle against suicide Probably at times it won’t be easy but I know everyone is behind me I feel strong let’s do this 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸 @baz_dubois will be cheering in my #ruok corner and @sash05_m my beautiful wife will be running the social media @instagram My dear Sascha, Morgan and Claudia papa will make you proud !!! Try your best ... and forget the rest Thanks to my family, friends and followers for your support means the world to me Chop chop !!!!! Miguel aka @thecrazybull

A post shared by Miguel Maestre (@thecrazybull) on Dec 28, 2019 at 4:49pm PST

The chef is out for redemption after he was the first contestant eliminated from Dancing With The Stars last year.

"Every year they've been trying to get me to do I'm A Celebrity, and this year was the first year the stars aligned," he says.

"I'm doing it for a really good cause. Like last year I'm raising awareness for R U OK? (suicide prevention).

Dancing With The Stars cast Jimmy Rees, Cassandra Thorburn, Constance Hall, Miguel Maestre, Olympia Valance, Curtly Ambrose, Michelle Bridges, Denise Scott, Samuel Johnson, Courtney Act and Jett Kenney. Picture: Supplied/Network 10

"I feel like people working in hospitality are behind me. I'm just going to try to be myself. I don't even need to dance this time."

He doesn't expect any preferential treatment from his best mate and The Living Room co-star Chris Brown, who co-hosts I'm A Celebrity with funny woman Julia Morris.

"She'll be nicer to me. The gringo will be the scary one," he says. "We have this amazing relationship, almost like a marriage, where it's his intelligence versus my craziness... but he knows all my weaknesses."

Miguel Maestre is the first celebrity revealed to be heading into the jungle in the 2020 season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Pictured with hosts Julia Morris and Chris Brown. Channel 10

Who would he like to share the jungle with?

"I'd love to see Ricky Martin or Rafael Nadal. It would be amazing to have somebody else speaking Spanish," he says. "I'm about to meet the most fascinating people in all their fields, so I'm excited."

The new season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! premieres on Sunday at 7.30pm on Ten/WIN.