Last night, 25-year-old reality TV star, podcast host, and feminist icon Abbie Chatfield won the title of Queen of the Jungle in the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! season 7 finale. After overcoming some grotesque challenges — including the vomit-inducing tucker trials— the former Bachie star proved she can beat second place, taking home $100,000 to her charity of choice, Dementia Australia.
To celebrate her big achievement, Girlfriend chatted to Abbie Chatfield about the difference between competing in I’m A Celebrity vs. The Bachelor franchise, her friendship with fellow campmates Alli Simpson and Jack Vidgen, and how she learned to find her voice and ignore the haters that consider her “too much.”
You’ve previously starred on dating reality TV shows, The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise. While they may have been more emotionally challenging, how do they compare to competing on I’m A Celebrity?
“I’m A Celebrity […Get Me Out Of Here!] was simultaneously much harder and much easier,” Chatfield explains. “The support I had in the jungle compared to the Bachelor where there was no support, and more just weird sabotage and weird stuff going on.”
“In the jungle, we were all so supportive of each other. It was like nothing else you can ever come close to imaging so you’re always going to have a strong bond with people.”
When we spoke to Alli Simpson, she said that you two share a friendship unlike her other girlfriends because of the “way [you] were exposed to each other.” How does going through an experience like I’m A Celebrity bond you and your camp mates?
“Alli and I were always going to be friends,” says Chatfield. “We’re both from Queensland and we’ve got mutual friends, but yeah, going through that experience is almost like a family bond.”
“Having all that time together, and having all of those deep and meaningful chats, all the hours you spend together is like months and months’ worth of dinners. Alli, Jack [Vidgen] and I had a bit of a different bond because we’re a similar generation and have similar jokes. It was such a pleasure getting to know them.”
You’ve built a personality online as someone who isn’t afraid to speak out on abuse, sexism, self-acceptance, and sex positivity, chatting about your earnest and relatable experiences on your podcast, It’s A Lot. As such, what advice do you have for young girls who want to be as unapologetically true to themselves and embrace being called “too much?”
“I always try to remember [that] I don’t want people to like me because of what I think they want,” Chatfield puts it best, adding, “being in media, there are a lot of voices, but I’d rather have five people love me for who I am rather than have 100 people who are wishy-washy about me.”
“It’s important to do what you want to do and what you believe in, and be around people that will love you no matter what, despite the excess baggage.”
What’s next for you?
“I’m finishing off my book at the moment,” the winner of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! tells us. “It’s all about feminism and deconstructing certain aspects of the media and society, and I’m working on my podcast, It’s A Lot.”
You can find out more about Abbie Chatfield and why she’s one of our fave Aussie role models, here.
Related stories
The 3 types of friends every girl should have
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
