Inside I’m A Celeb GK Barry’s eventful upbringing in tropical paradise - and her pet goat
I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here is just hours from returning to our screens and internet sensation GK Barry, whose real name is Grace Keeling, is set to brave the Australian jungle alongside a host of familiar faces.
The ITV reality show returns tonight (November 17) with a starry line-up including WAG Coleen Rooney, pop star Tulisa and telly frequenters Oti Mabuse, Alan Halsall and Jane Moore.
Although Grace has confessed she hates the idea of sleeping outdoors, she has also admitted that it will make for great viewing. Speaking to the Mirror, the influencer said: "I hate bugs. I hate sleeping outside. I've never done it. And so I think that would be a lot. But I feel like it would also probably be good viewing for other people."
Despite her fears, the 25-year-old might have an edge over her competitors because she spent years of her childhood living on the tropical British Virgin Islands and going on holidays to Trinidad and Tobago.
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Raised by mum Loretta and stepdad Andrew, Grace's family moved to the Virgin Islands when she was two and lived a stone's throw from the beach.
In a 2022 episode on her Saving Grace podcast, her parents shared various stories from her childhood. Diving into Grace's unique upbringing, Loretta recalled being in the kitchen one day and seeing something bobbing in the sea. She then shared that she called out to Andrew to go and investigate. He swam into the water and found a goat struggling to stay afloat and consequently brought it home.
The story took a tragic turn when Grace's parents shared that they eventually gave the pet goat to their neighbour but GK remembered the events differently.
Interjecting she said: "This is where the story gets confused. You didn't give the goat to our neighbour, we woke up one morning and said 'Where's the goat?' and you said 'Do you smell that? That's the goat, they made it into a goat curry." Her parents candidly admitted that they had expected the neighbours to look after the pet.
The family also shared that their dog was rescued by Andrew from the sea.
Later in the podcast episode, Andrew and Grace revealed an animal run-in they had on holiday.
The family used to visit Trinidad and Tobago and on one particular trip, Grace and Andrew were walking to get coconuts, when they started getting chased by a snake.
Andrew told the podcast: "I was about to say [to Grace] 'You don't have to worry about them, as long as you're not in their territory' and then it [the snake] just took off after us."
Although GK has long since lived away from tropical forests, her few years in the islands should prove helpful for her journey in the jungle.
I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here starts tonight at 9pm on ITV1 & ITVX
