Coleen Rooney’s friend Danielle Lloyd says star will reveal true colour with ‘stories on A-List pals’

Coleen Rooney has arrived in the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! jungle. The WAG – who has been married to footballer Wayne Rooney for 16 years – is settling in to camp life and admitted last week she was feeling “excited” for the Australian adventure.

And one person who couldn’t be more proud of Coleen is close pal Danielle Lloyd, who gushed over the TV personality during an exclusive chat with OK!. “Coleen is going to be amazing in the jungle, I can’t wait for people to see the real her,” said Danielle, who first met Coleen when they were just teenagers, growing up in Liverpool.

Here, Danielle reveals what mum-of-four Coleen’s biggest struggle down under will be, how she’ll get on in the show’s infamous, stomach-churning Bushtucker Trials – and why she won’t miss her home luxuries…

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READ MORE: Coleen Rooney's final pre-jungle snap before she heads into I'm a Celeb

Danielle, are you excited to watch Coleen in the jungle?

I can’t wait! I did speak to her before she left, but, obviously, she couldn’t confirm or deny it, she just sent me a winking emoji back. So, I knew that she was going in from that. I think it’s the right time and this will be really good for her – she’s done documentaries, but now people will get the chance to see the real her.

Why do you think she decided to do I’m A Celeb this year?

I think it’s something she has wanted to do before, but leaving the kids [Kai, 15, Klay, 13, Kit, eight, and Cass, six] wasn’t an option for her, so now they’re a little bit older, she has gone for it and is really excited. It’s also a good time because people have warmed to her since she released her “Wagatha Christie” trial documentary. They got to know her a bit better through that. Before that, I think she might have been a bit nervous about what people would think of her. Although she’s been in the public eye for a very long time, she’s always been a really private person, so she’s ready to open up a bit.

Will we see a different side to Coleen?

Definitely. A lot of people think, “Oh, she’s just a footballer’s wife,” but she’s done so much and I think people are going to be surprised at how normal she is. She’s so down to earth and is just a full-time mum. Most of the time I’ll see her going to the gym with her hair scraped back and really natural. Although she’s got a lot of money and a lovely house and drives a nice car, she doesn’t live a very glamorous lifestyle. She’s just a normal person, and people are going to see that side of her and be surprised. Everyone I know hasn’t got a bad thing to say about Coleen.

What do you think she’ll struggle with the most in camp?

Missing her kids. She will really struggle with that. She will constantly be thinking, “Are they OK? They’ve got football tonight and something else on tomorrow…,” so that part will be tough for her. But I think the kids and Wayne might go out and see her at the end, which will be nice.

How is Wayne feeling about holding the fort, is he proud of her?

I don’t really know Wayne or speak to him but I’m sure he will be so proud of her. Her lovely mum, Colette, will be helping him out with the kids and everything, so I’m sure they’ll be fine.

Will she be any good at the trials?!

Well, she’s a really strong person, so I don’t think she’ll back out of any of the challenges. She’s a strong Scouser like me, so she’ll be fine! Just look at the few years she’s had with court trials – going through the worst time – you only come out stronger after things like that. I don’t think she’s a big fan of creepy crawlies, but she’s not going to back down. Coleen will want to make her kids proud.

You know that feeling – you did Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, didn’t you?

Yes, I remember when I went on Celebrity SAS last year, all I could think about was doing my kids proud and not letting them down, that pushed me on. I think she’ll feel exactly the same. She’s competitive, too, so I’d say she’ll want to smash every challenge for camp.

Are there any items Coleen will miss?

I don’t know, she’s not so materialistic. It sounds like I’m really blowing her trumpet, but she’s so naturally pretty that she doesn’t need any make-up, and looks good with her hair off of her face. So, I don’t think she will miss any beauty products or anything like that. People will probably expect her to be like, “Oh, I haven’t got my luxury this and that” but she won’t be. When they see how normal she is they’ll think, “Wow.”

There are a lot of big names in camp this year, how will she get on – is there anyone she’ll clash with?

I think she’ll get on really well with all the girls. I don’t think there’s anyone I can really see her clashing with, she’s the kind of person who gets on with everyone. She will have loads of stories to tell, too – she’s met some amazing people and is friends with Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé and Jay-Z.

Will her kids be glued to the screen, watching at home?

Yes, even though she’s not at home, they will watch her on TV every night, so it will be nice for them to see their mum. I think one of the biggest reasons Coleen is doing the show is to do something for herself and get out of the normal “mum routine”. That’s why I did SAS, I wanted to do something for myself that wasn’t cooking, cleaning and running after the kids. I wanted to prove to myself that I am strong and I can do things other than being a mum, so I think she’s coming from the same place. And everyone loves the jungle, so it will be a good watch.

Would you ever do I’m A Celeb?

I wouldn’t say no, but I’ve always said I’d like to do something where I learn a new skill. Maybe Dancing On Ice, something like that. I’ve never been to Australia, so I would absolutely love going there, but I don’t like spiders, snakes or anything like that. I probably wouldn’t be very good!

Will you be having a big girls’ night when she’s back?

Definitely. I think she’ll need it more than ever!