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I'm A Celebrity 2013: 'This is definitely not reem!' shouts Joey Essex from his trial

The reality star endured rats and cockroaches to win meals for the camp

Jess Denham
Sunday 24 November 2013 23:01 GMT
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Joey Essex won eight meals for camp after completing the 'Cavern Of Claws' trial
Joey Essex won eight meals for camp after completing the 'Cavern Of Claws' trial (Rex Features)

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Joey Essex won eight meals for his campmates on tonight's I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! after success in the 'Cavern Of Claws' bushtucker trial.

"I was covered in cockroaches, they stink like a toilet sewer," the reality TV star said when he was let out of the dark claustrophic cave.

Presenters Ant and Dec were visibly amused by Joey's repeated use of the word "reem", a term he coined to mean "awesome" on The Only Way Is Essex.

"This is not reem, this is definitely not reem!" the 23-year old shouted, as rats and creepy crawlies swarmed over his perfectly-manicured hair pulling far too many strands out of place.

Joey has won admiration from his fellow celebrities for his effort and determination in the trials and is hotly-tipped to emerge as king of the jungle.

The popular contestant was then chosen by viewers to take part in this year's live bushtucker trial, "Critters Got Talent", again to win the camp's dinner. Westlife singer Kian Egan narrowly escaped being picked for the challenge.

The first in a series of 'stations' demanded that Joey dive into a tank of biting lizards and fish to find the punchline to jokes read out by Ant and Dec.

"What's a punchline?" he asked as his campmates looked on, concerned for their rumbling stomachs.

Joey then had to sing karaoke to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" while wearing a helmet full of scuttling cockroaches.

American actor Alfonso Ribeiro was brought in for the next station to free Joey from a coffin of nipping crabs by guessing which key matched three different padlocks.

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Medical attention was brought in when one particularly hungry crab left Joey with a bleeding cut on his hand, only for it to turn out to be red paint.

After opting to continue the trial topless because there conveniently "wasn't time" for a change of shirt, the reality star then had to perform some well-known dances for Alfonso to guess - "Thriller", "Gangnam Style" and the "YMCA".

Joey then completed his final task, playing a piano with numbered, bug-ridden keys, in order to win ten stars for camp and achieve his best result to date.

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