In a surprising revelation that bridges royal protocol and reality television, former royal butler Paul Burrell has claimed the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip watched his gruesome Bushtucker Trial on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2004.
The Royal Viewing Party
During an appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Unpacked! on Thursday, November 27, Burrell shared the extraordinary anecdote with hosts Joel Dommett and Kemi Rodgers. The former servant to Diana, Princess of Wales revealed he was told the Queen let out an audible reaction while watching him consume raw kangaroo testicles.
"I was told that at Windsor Castle, where the Queen and Prince Philip used to have dinner, they had a little television in the corner of the room," Burrell explained. "They were watching the trial that night, and the Queen let out a little yelp as I chomped into kangaroo testicles."
Royal Family's Modern Viewing Habits
The revelation prompted host Joel Dommett to question whether the royal family continues to watch the popular ITV programme. Burrell responded with confidence, suggesting the tradition likely continues with the younger generation of royals.
"I bet they do, yes," he stated. "I can see William and Kate sitting down watching it with the kids, absolutely - it's the best show on TV!"
Burrell, who served as butler to Princess Diana until her tragic death in August 1997, participated in the jungle reality show in 2004, ultimately finishing as runner-up to comedian Joe Pasquale.
Enduring Jungle Connections
Despite more than two decades passing since his original appearance, Burrell maintains connections with his fellow campmates. He specifically mentioned staying in touch with Fran Cosgrave, who won Celebrity Love Island in 2005 and finished third in their series of I'm A Celebrity.
"He lives in Ireland and does a lot of DJing," Burrell shared. "His son Josh used to come into my flower shop, and in his wallet, he carries a picture of me and his dad in the jungle because he said, 'It's my favourite jungle.'"
More recently, Burrell participated in I'm A Celebrity... South Africa in 2023, the spin-off that brings back memorable campmates from previous series. The experience proved physically demanding, with the former butler revealing he lost a significant amount of weight during filming.
"I lost 22 pounds," Burrell confessed. "I've never been as hungry as that in all my life. At points, I think we were all dreaming about food. People at home don't realise how hungry you actually are."
The revelation offers a rare glimpse into the private viewing habits of the royal family, suggesting that even the most formal households aren't immune to the appeal of reality television's most challenging moments.
