Why I’m a Celebrity 2024 contestant Tulisa left the spotlight after The X Factor
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Tulisa Contostavlos is one of the 10 well-known personalities taking on the challenges of the Australian wilderness in the upcoming season of I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! 2024.
The 36-year-old N-Dubz vocalist was officially announced as a participant last week, joining Coleen Rooney and Danny Jones from McFly. You can view the complete lineup for I'm a Celebrity here.
"I'm quite sensitive and feel things deeply," Contostavlos shared about her expectations for life in the jungle. "I anticipate that the initial days will be tough for me since this experience is a significant challenge."
"I haven't found myself in the spotlight like this for quite some time, and I've been steering clear of it due to some unfounded fears," she confessed. "I anticipate that I will feel the most emotional when I first step in. It might take me some time to adjust, but I'm confident I'll work through it."
Contostavlos gained widespread attention when the hip hop group she formed with her cousin Dappy and their friend Fazer won the Mobo award for best newcomer in 2007. That same year, N-Dubz signed a deal with Polydor, and their first album achieved double platinum status, boasting four singles that reached the UK top 40, such as "Ouch," "Papa Can You Hear Me?" and "Strong Again."
The group's success kept going strong. In 2009, N-Dubz launched their second album, Against All Odds, which achieved platinum status and led to their first top-10 hit, "I Need You." That same year, they earned their first UK number one with Tinchy Stryder's song "Number 1."
Not long after the release of N-Dubz's third album in 2010, Contostavlos secured a highly sought-after position as a judge on ITV’s The X Factor, joining Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh, and Kelly Rowland for the 2011 season. That year, she led the girl group Little Mix to victory, which increased the public's focus on her significantly. Reflecting on her experience in 2018, she admitted, “I wasn’t ready for that degree of fame; it was a huge surprise for me.”
During the peak of her popularity, Contostavlos's former partner, Justin Edwards, made public a sex tape they had recorded a decade prior. The singer from N-Dubz faced intense online criticism and mockery, which ultimately led her to create a response video on YouTube.
"When you experience a close and personal moment with someone you love, care for, and trust, it never crosses your mind that those memories could be shared with others in the UK or even around the globe," she said at the time.
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In an interview with The Guardian in 2018, she mentioned, "When the sex tape came out, it turned my world upside down, but ultimately, it shaped who I am today. I’ve come to terms with it."
A year later, Mazher Mahmood, an undercover reporter for The Sun on Sunday, claimed that Contostavlos had arranged a drug deal for him after a complex and costly operation that lasted several months. In truth, the singer had only ever used marijuana. The following year, the case was dismissed, and Mahmood, who is also known as the Fake Sheikh, was convicted of attempting to obstruct justice.
Contostavlos later revealed that she considered taking her own life during that tough time. "I wasn't fully understanding what was happening to me to the point of wanting to take that step, but I was close," she shared with The Guardian. "That was my darkest moment... Just three days later, I was back in training, prepared to head into the studio."
The artist released a book detailing her trial, which she started writing immediately after learning about the charges against her. "I was cut off from all my opportunities and couldn't pursue music at all. I had to endure the situation. Instead of just waiting around, I decided to make the most of the time by writing. Even if I ended up in prison, I figured I could still earn some money from a book," she shared.
Contostavlos' solo music career has been inactive since her only album, The Female Boss, came out in 2012 and didn't do well with critics. In 2022, she reunited with N-Dubz for a tour and a new album. While it delighted fans longing for a return, it didn't achieve much success either in sales or critical response.
Although there are suggestions that Contostavlos is participating in I'm a Celeb to boost her career, the former X-Factor judge expressed her desire to step away from the entertainment world completely by the time she reaches 40 in four years. “My goal is to lead a calm and joyful life, surrounded by loving and positive people who I cherish and who care for me. That’s all I really want,” she stated.
Contostavlos is now allowed to participate in all the challenges on I'm a Celeb, but back in 2020, she was diagnosed with Bell's palsy, which causes temporary weakness on one side of the face. For the past 12 years, the singer has faced some severe health problems unrelated to Bell's palsy. In a recent interview, she described a strange feeling in her face, comparing it to ants crawling on her skin. Just last month, she shared that one of the many doctors she consulted discovered "three chronically infected cysts" in her cheek.
As she prepares for her appearance on the ITV show, Contostavlos shared her thoughts about joining I'm a Celeb: “My main goal is to be completely myself. If being true to who I am resonates with a lot of people, it means I'm on the right track in life.”
Discover the lineup of contestants for I'm a Celebrity 2024 right here.
