Sobbing off camera, but Rebekah Elmaloglou proud of I’m A Celebrity run | Television tonight

When Rebekah Elmaloglou was instructed to place her head in a box full of spiders, she almost spoke the words I’m a celebrity, get me out of here.

Along with heights, it was her greatest fear. But even though she overcame it, it was more traumatic in South Africa than what viewers saw.

“They left out the ten minutes where I literally cried before I stuck my head in!” she says Television tonight.

“I almost had to call I’m a celebrity because I honestly didn’t think I could. They cut it together so quickly, it’s like I’m whining a little, and then I’m sticking my head through it. But that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Watching the series, which was filmed last December, as it airs from the comfort of home, has been mixed emotions. The former Neighbors star gets to see more conversations and exchanges than she witnessed in South Africa.

“In retrospect, it made sense. Things that were said that made me think, ‘Ah, okay, that’s why that happened.’ …. there were a few disappointing moments, but overall there were a lot of great things that I wasn’t aware of. That was fun and surprising. So it’s a mixed bag,” she reveals.

Sometimes she feels like the montages rely more on storylines than on her memory of events.

“I’ve seen a little bit of that. Reactions from one scene thrown into another to add to the drama. Yeah, absolutely. There were times when I watched it back, I thought, ‘I don’t remember that person saying that to him.’ But see, that’s the beauty of Reality TV, and that’s where the producers are really smart, and they edit it together,” she notes.

“You have to remember that we’re being filmed 24/7 or whatever. There’s so much you don’t see, so during the edits they’re going to take things and make it look like it’s worse than it was.”

I’m a celebrity also marks her first reality series, after previous approaches were rejected due to her availability.

“They had been asking me for a few years if I was interested in it, but I didn’t feel like I could do it. Neighbors stake. I think it was actually in June that they asked about it and we started negotiating with them… so many friends had done it, so I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about,” she continues.

“I’m happy to get as far as I have. To be honest, it’s been so hard. It’s been so packed, it’s been huge. I’m pretty chuffed. I’m pretty chuffed to get as far as I have. And look, I’m a little bit disappointed that I didn’t win my $100,000 charity goal, but Channel 10 made a generous donation, which is great. I’ve got a really good relationship now with SANE, Australia, so that’s great.”

Elmaloglou admits she doesn’t know how much the network donated on her behalf.

“No, I don’t actually know. I didn’t ask them.”

One of the biggest challenges she faced was the sheer boredom of camp life.

“So boring! I got so bored that I started reading the first aid kit, the labels on my clothes and the washing instructions,” she recalls.

“But it was tricky because if you were sent on a trial it was quite exciting because at least you weren’t stuck in camp all day. If you were chosen to do a trial it was very scary because you wouldn’t know where you stand and you would also have the responsibility of getting all the stars for your camp. Anyway, it was quite tough.”

She also had a connection with former MAFS participant Cyrell Paule, at times the pair were a united force, often at odds with the wider group.

“Look, we’re two little peas in a pod… we’re not the one and only shooters, but we speak our minds. And we’re little fighters too. She stood by me through that whole experience in the jungle, and I’ll never forget that. And she really is a truth teller. She speaks her mind. She doesn’t hide anything. She doesn’t put on a show for anyone. And what you see is what you get,” she suggests.

“She was so wonderful when it came to the trials. You might have to be a little hard on her, but once you did, she took off and did a great job. By the end, I felt like it was just the two of us. We had each other, and I’ll never forget that. But we’re like chalk and cheese. You never met two very different people, but there was something we bonded over. Maybe it was the elephant’s graveyard.”

Did she feel like Cyrell was cast for conflict, to provide some camp drama?

“She certainly wasn’t trying to create drama. But when she saw something that was unfair and unjust, she stood up not only for herself, but for me. I’ll never forget that. And she certainly loves the drama. Let’s not take that away from her. She thrives on it and she’s the first to admit it. She loves being the bad guy, you know, but as long as it’s fair.”

While Cyrell cried at the first snake trial, Elmaloglou gives her credit for facing the dreaded Viper Room.

“For her to continue doing the Viper Room, which I have to say, is probably the worst ordeal I’m a celebrity history, both she and Concetta were incredible.

Elmaloglou finished a long run Neighbors halfway through the year, and remains pragmatic about the status of the show while acknowledging the love from fans, especially in the UK.

“The fan groups are still going strong, and there’s still so much hope. I think Jason (Herbison, producer) will probably let it rest for a while. I think he needs a break. I think everyone needs a break. I don’t know. I think it might be over this time. But the fan groups are still going.”

Now that her first Reality project has been completed, she hopes for new opportunities.

“I hope this bloody show will open doors for me to work, not just acting, but all sorts of things like presenting,” she reveals.

“I’d like to get a job on Luxury Escapes or maybe host a reality show, be the voice of a crime show that I love, I love all those kinds of shows. And I want to do sketch comedy. I recently did a cameo in a Troy Kinne pilot, and I’m about to throw that on my show reel.”

“As I get older, I’m more open to things and obviously I can’t rely on acting because there’s not a whole lot of that, especially for women my age.”

I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here ends Sunday at 7pm on Sunday 10.