Famed for being a member of N-Dubz and an X Factor judge, fans have now seen a whole new side to Tulisa Contostavlos in the I'm A Celebrity jungle as she candidly opens up about the highs and lows of fame.
In a pre-show interview, the 36-year-old singer revealed that she hoped her time in the camp would allow fans to see the "real" her. She shared: "I’m not the person people perceive me to be. This is a chance for everyone to get to know the real me."
Born in Camden Town, London, she shot to fame with the chart-topping trio N-Dubz alongside Dappy and Fazer. Together, they achieved platinum-certified albums, five MOBO awards, a Brit Award nomination, and 13 top 40 singles.
But Tulisa’s journey has been far from easy. Despite the band’s success, the former talent show judge faced many personal challenges, including a difficult upbringing.
At just five years old, Tulisa's mother, who has bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Tulisa's 2010 BBC documentary, Tulisa: My Mum and Me, shared the struggles she faced growing up and caring for her mother before entering the music industry.
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Fans have also recently discovered that Tulisa has a famous father, Plato Contostavlos, who was the keyboardist for the band Mungo Jerry, best known for their hit In the Summertime. Many took to social media to express surprise at this new revelation, with one tweeting, “How have I only just realized that Mungo Jerry is Tulisa’s dad?!?”
Outside of N-Dubz, Tulisa ventured into a solo career with the release of her 2012 album but largely kept a low profile until reuniting with Dappy and Fazer in 2022 after an 11-year hiatus.
However, her career has been marred by controversy.
In 2014, she faced another scandal when she was arrested on charges of supplying cocaine after being set up by a reporter from News of the World. The case ultimately collapsed after it was revealed that the reporter, Mazher Mahmood, had tampered with evidence, leading to his conviction.
Tulisa once spoke about the controversy on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, with Fearne describing it as “the year from hell”.
She said: "That year, I call my year of enlightenment. There is nothing like it, you can't buy life experience like that. It was completely unexpected." She added: "I thought at the time, nothing much could shock me. I had seen it all. The deceit that people could commit and the lies to be told. But when that happened, I was like 'wow, this is next level'. Ups and downs throughout that year."
