Cliff Parisi accepted an offer to star on ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ after being landed with a tax bill.
The former ‘EastEnders’ star – who portrayed Minty Peterson on the BBC One soap – admitted he turned down the ITV reality show earlier this year, but after being told about his bill he spoke to show bosses again and asked if he could re-consider their offer.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "What made me sign up? The taxman. I have got a bill I need to pay.
"Like everyone at this time of year, you go, ‘Oh no. Again…’ You would think I earn a lot of money but I don’t.
"I work for the BBC, so it ain’t that big.
"I had a meeting about this earlier on in the year, and I thought about it long and hard and said no.
"And then as I got an estimate for my tax, I phoned them up and said, ‘Is it too late to say yes?’
"So here I am. But it could be an amazing experience and I hope it is.
"Life throws up things like this for you, and if you don’t take them you are a bit of a mug.
"So I give myself a bit of a talking to, and then I spoke to the accountant and he made my mind up."
Cliff and ‘Coronation Street’ star Andrew Whyment are to make late entries into the jungle this week, after the programme kicked off last Sunday (17.11.19).
The ‘Call the Midwife’ star is hoping to shed "a couple of stone" during his time on the Australian-based programme, but thinks living on rice and beans could be a "struggle".
He said: "I obviously like my food, so this might be a bit of a struggle for me.
"But, I like challenges, so let’s just see. I’d love to lose a couple of stone – that’d be incredible."
Cliff Parisi accepted I’m A Celebrity offer to pay off tax bill
