I’ve been Britain’s biggest loser for 20 years since Pop Idol, Celeb SAS helped me feel like a winner, says Gareth Gates
GARETH GATES has finally discovered a cure for his stammer – shouting swear words.
The singer has been battling a speech impediment all his life but after starring on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, he found that expletive-ridden rants are the key to speaking fluently.
Inspired by the sweary outbursts of the show’s directing staff, he unleashed his own tirade during the recent leadership challenge — and realised he delivered it seamlessly.
Gareth says: “Somebody had to take control because I was like, ‘I’m not losing this challenge’.
“I was screaming and out of nowhere I went from this stammering wreck to actually having a voice.
“Who knew shouting at people makes my stammer go away?”
The ex-Pop Idol star is joined by former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Love Island hunk Teddy Soares, model Danielle Lloyd and Team GB 400m star Perri Shakes-Drayton in Sunday’s final on Channel 4.
Gareth has previously turned down reality shows including I’m A Celeb due to his stammer.
He explains: “I’ve been asked to do the jungle, to do Big Brother, and that terrifies me.
“Just being sat around with people conversing, or at least trying to converse — that’s hard for me.
“This show just really intrigued me.”
And Gareth is determined to leave Who Dares Wins on a high after his Pop Idol final defeat to Will Young two decades ago.
He says: “Twenty years ago I become the nation’s biggest loser. Now I want to prove I am a winner.”
A winner with a potty mouth.
TEDDY IN A FIT OF THE FLITS
TEDDY SOARES mistakenly did a runner in Sunday’s final when the other five recruits were captured by an elite Hunter Force and quizzed by Interrogators.
They had to stick to a cover story to hide their true mission but Teddy said: “I thought you were actually supposed to get captured and you try to escape.
“I ran off behind the camp to an education room.
“I’m hiding there and I can hear microphones going off.
“They’re like, ‘We’ve lost one of the recruits’.
“I was thinking, ‘Oh crap. I wasn’t supposed to run away?’
“I could hear the panic on the radio.
“At that point, I gave myself up and went, ‘Oh, sorry’. One of the producers brought me back.”
STRESS? I CAN JUST TAKE NAP
THE interrogation challenge is meant to be a gruelling experience – but for Danielle Lloyd it was a chance to relax.
The model enjoyed the process – when not being peppered with questions or put in extreme stress positions – as she finally got some peace.
She says: “When I was at the lying down point, because I’ve got five kids I have a really good thing where I’m able to switch off.
“So when they laid me down, I could switch off and I would fall asleep for that ten minutes or whatever.
“It was crazy. I remember the psychologist saying, ‘How did you do that?’.
“And I was like, ‘It’s because I’m so used to drowning out the sound of my kids.’ It’s my superpower.”
I’ve heard Marvel are planning to get in touch.
BOBBY’S TOP OF THE ’BOX
STRICTLY scoreboard topper Bobby Brazier takes a well-earned break from the dance floor – putting his feet up on Celebrity Gogglebox tonight.
The EastEnders actor will be joined by his TV host dad, Jeff Brazier, as they dissect the week’s top telly.
Excruciatingly, that’s likely to include Bobby’s latest dazzling performance on the BBC1 dance contest with pro partner Dianne Buswell.
Yesterday I revealed Thom Evans and Nicole Scherzinger will also feature on Channel 4’s Stand Up 2 Cancer Celebrity Gogglebox, tonight from 8.30pm.