Paul Gascoigne has vowed to face his fear of snakes and emerge victorious after signing up to the Italian version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.
The former footballer, 53, recently revealed he was banned from the UK show after failing a psych test back in 2009.
But Paul has now set his sights on victory in the Italian version, called Isola de Famosi (Island of the Famous), with the star declaring: ‘I think I will either be out in 24 hours or win it.’
New venture: Paul Gascoigne has vowed to face his fear of snakes and emerge victorious after signing up to the Italian version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here
Speaking ahead of his appearance, Paul told The Sun: ‘What is really going to scare me is the snakes. Anything else I can put up with — lack of food, the trials, but what I’m really scared of is the snakes.’
Paul added that there won’t be any ‘half measures’, declaring that he’ll either triumph on the island or give up immediately .
He added: ‘I think I will either be out in 24 hours or win it — there won’t be any half measures.’
The ex sportsman has famously fought a battle with alcoholism and has had many stints in rehabs over the years due to his alcohol-related problems, with Paul admitting that his two-month stint on the deserted island ‘won’t be easy.’
Ciao! Paul has set his sights on victory in the Italian version, called Isola de Famosi (Island of the Famous), with the star declaring: ‘I think I will either be out in 24 hours or win it’
He said: ‘I’ve had my problems and I have battled to overcome them – I have always tried to remain the same person. This will be a fantastic challenge but I know it won’t be easy.’
MailOnline have contacted a representative of Paul for comment.
Gazza will certainly be in good company on the show, which is based in Honduras, with Miss Italy Carolina Stramare joining the line-up.
They’ll be joined by Covid denier Daniela Martani, actress Angela Melillo and singer and reality star Elettra Lamborghini.
Challenge: ‘I’ve had my problems and I have battled to overcome them – I have always tried to remain the same person. This will be a fantastic challenge but I know it won’t be easy’
It comes after he claimed he was banned from joining the cast of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Here! after failing a psych test back in 2009.
Paul, who was isolating in a Milan hotel ahead of jetting off to Hondouras to take part in the Italian version of the show, told The Sun: ‘I did interviews for I’m A Celebrity in the UK but they pre-judged me. They wanted to sign me for the show, but when it came to speaking to the psychiatrist they really p***ed me off.’
‘She asked me, “Why do you want to do the show?” and I said, “I want people to see the real Paul Gascoigne”. But she said, “People don’t want to see that, they want to see you in arguments”. That really p****ed me off.
‘I wasn’t happy about that. And the questions she asked me were ridiculous. She was asking me if I knew where I was, and I said London, and “whereabouts, what can you see”. I’m not dealing with stupid questions like that.’
Tough times: Paul recently claimed he was banned from joining the cast of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Here! after failing a psych test back in 2009 (Pictured in 2015)
MailOnline has contacted a representative for I’m A Celebrity for comment at the time.
The sportsman’s interview comes after he revealed that he’s back on the booze amid his battle with alcoholism, confessing: ‘I’ll always be an alcoholic.’
Former England player Gazza admitted he now enjoys having ‘a couple of glasses of wine… and a few beers’.
His admission comes after it was reported that Paul is studying Italian ahead of his stint on their version of I’m A Celebrity.
The football legend is the star signing of Isola de Famosi – Island of the Famous – and, before his appearance next month, he is said to want to improve his language skills so he can keep up the conversation with his campmates.
Shock: The football legend was isolating in a Milan hotel ahead of jetting off to Hondouras to take part in the Italian version of the show – more than a decade after he alleges bosses of UK series opted against putting him on the air
A source told The Sun: ‘Paul has a basic grasp of Italian and he can make himself understood. But what we really want to avoid is having subtitles too often as that would ruin it.
‘The idea is to get him up to a good conversational level so he can talk with the other competitors. We are expecting some exciting TV from Paul.
The insider added: ‘The women on the island are all very attractive and range in ages from 22 to 53 — the same age as Paul — and most of them are single.’
The source said it will make great TV to see how the footballer legend ‘interacts with these women who are very opinionated and have strong views’.
The sportsman had been enjoying some downtime in Italy before his weekend flight to Honduras, where he will quarantine before descending into the jungle in March.
Back on the booze: In a new interview, Paul revealed that he’s back on the booze amid his battle with alcoholism, confessing: ‘I’ll always be an alcoholic’
His signing is something of a coup for bosses of Isola de Famosi – Italian for Island of the famous – though he’s set to face tropical storms and poisonous spiders.
England hero Gazza, who has battled alcohol and drug addiction, will be heading to the Hog Cays, a small archipelago 18 miles off the northern coast of Honduras.
Known in Spanish as Cayos Cochinos, it consists of two small islands and 13 other coral cays. They can only be reached by boat and there are no roads, car or bikes.
Filming for the Italian hit show starts on March 11 and runs for two months. Gazza will have to quarantine for two weeks after he arrives in Honduras this coming weekend.
The ex-Newcastle and Spurs midfielder will be allowed to leave the UK to take part as his trip is work-related.
Enjoying life: The sports star, who is preparing to star in the Italian I’m A Celebrity, admitted he now enjoys having: ‘a couple of glasses of wine… and a few beers’ (Pictured in 2018)
Busy time: The ex-Newcastle and Spurs midfielder was allowed to leave the UK to take part amid the novel coronavirus lockdown as his trip is work-related. Pictured in 1990