Australian retired swimming superstar Leisel Jones debuted on the reality TV show, “I’m a Celebrity-Get Me Out of Here”, which premiered on TV down under this past weekend. The show is much like “Survivor” in that ten celebrities are transported to an unconventional locale, in this case, a South African jungle, to partake in physical challenges, take on local wildlife and try to form alliances/ward off enemies, all in the name of entertaining television.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the show attracted 1.199 million viewers with its premiere this past weekend and producers say the series would run for up to six weeks. Jones joins other contestants such as Miss Universe Australia (2008), Laura Dundovic, and Maureen McCormick, whom we all fondly remember as “Marcia Brady” from original The Brady Bunch.
29-year-old Jones, who retired in 2012 and now is an active motivational speaker, told the Herald that the show would “expose people for what they really are.” She continued, “When you’re really tired and hungry, you’ll discover things about yourself you never knew were there before.”
As with most celebrity reality TV shows, the producers kept the names of contestants secret until the series’ start date neared. Jones’ code name given by the show preceding its release? NEMO!
I find it a bit ironic that Leisel Jones is an “active motivational speaker”.
She could have won at least 4 individual olympics golds had she been very highly motivated. She had all the talents in the world but oftentimes it’s her motivation/discipline that failed her.
Not sure it was necessarily motivation but more a mixture of lack of emotional maturity AND shoddy race-skills (particularly starts). Was only the cycle between Athens and Beijing where she finally had her mental act largely together. She then went 2 years too long trying to extend thru to London …. defensible due to the fact of there being no replacement !
When you’re on a reality show with Marcia Brady, I think it’s safe to say that your post-swimming career is faltering. I hope NEMO finds herself. And I’ll be rooting for her, but I hope she doesn’t end up the Jan Brady of the competition: “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!”
I am not a fan of these things ( this show did nothing for Becky but make her feel fat) but I guess Liesel may come out of it ok She likes Africa & must have given it some thought as part of her new wild animal empathy pathway ( how is that for lingo?)
It is sadder for the actress to be still reliving a tv part 40 years later as if it were her but we all know life does not treat ex child actors kindly . It is the strange reaction of many like you Liquid that is surprising . But i guess the show’s creators knew it was out there still after all these years… Read more »