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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Flintoff wins Australian version of 'Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao'

Flintoff wins Australian version of 'Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao'

Source: PTI
March 16, 2015 18:12 IST
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Andrew Freddie Flintoff gets set to devour a scorpion during an episode on the show I Am A Celebrity

Andrew Freddie Flintoff gets set to devour a scorpion during an episode on the show I Am A Celebrity. Photograph: Andrew Flintoff/Twitter

Former England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff won the Australian version of I'm A Celebrity show after spending a month in a jungle where he took up many challenges including eating a rat's tail.

Flintoff beat Australian Football League player Barry Hall and TV personality Chrissie Swan to win I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in the South African jungle.

"As an Englishman winning something in Australia, it's unheard of," Flintoff said after winning.

"I'm shocked. I'm stuck for words a little bit. I never expected to get this far. It's a lot to take in really. I am shocked, surprised, pleased. I've got a lot of emotions going round at the minute. I'm humbled," he was quoted as saying by the BBC after winning the reality show.

On the show he ate a rat's tail and was covered in elephant dung among the many challenges he undertook. He also drank fermented milk laced with cockroaches and flies and fell out of a helicopter.

He donated the 100,000 Australian dollars prize-money to his chosen charity, the McGrath Foundation.

The McGrath Foundation is a breast cancer support and education charity in Australia which was originally founded by Australian cricket player Glenn McGrath and his English-born wife, Jane McGrath, in 2002, following her initial diagnosis and recovery from breast cancer.

Andrew Flintoff poses with the show's presenters after winning I Am A Celebrity

Andrew Flintoff poses with the show's presenters after winning I Am A Celebrity. Photograph: Andrew Flintoff/Twitter

While on the show 37-year-old Flintoff talked about how giving up alcohol had changed his life.

"One, I genuinely thought I'd had enough of it. It catches up with me in the morning. And two, I suffer with depression and it doesn't help at all. I just hit rock bottom afterwards. So you're far better without it," he said.

Flintoff retired from professional cricket in September 2010 but came out of retirement last year to play for Lancashire in the T20 Blast.

Before his time in the South African jungle, he had been in Australia playing for Brisbane Heat in the Twenty20 Big Bash.

After announcing his retirement from cricket, Flintoff also dabbled with professional boxing. He took part in a bout in 2012 in Manchester, beating American Richard Dawson on a points decision.

I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! is an Australian reality television series which commenced on February 1, 2015 on Network Ten. The format is based on the British television show of the same name.

The Indian version of the show is named Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao and was aired in 2009.

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