Natalie Bassingthwaighte is scared of heights and spiders - but mostly being without fake tan in TV jungle

SHE is one of the most beautiful women in entertainment, but Natalie Bassingthwaighte will have to face her greatest fears in Ten’s TV jungle.

SHE’S scared of heights and creepy crawlies, yet Natalie Bassingthwaighte says her biggest fear about spending up to six weeks in the jungle is missing her kids and being seen on TV without a fake tan.

The 41-year-old singer is one of 10 stars to have committed to camp life in South Africa as the third series of Channel Ten reality series I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! kicked off.

“I am nervous about people seeing me with no make-up and no hair (being done),” she told News Corp Australia before meeting her fellow celebrities, adding: “I am actually more terrified about them seeing me with no tan because I am really pale in real life. I don’t know why that bothers me.”

Joining Bassingthwaighte in the jungle are fellow singer Casey Donovan, actor Jay Laga’aia, US sitcom star Tom Arnold, Olympian Lisa Curry, comedian Nazeem Hussain, shock jock Steve Price, reality star Ash Pollard, beauty queen Tegan Martin and AFL legend Dane Swan.

All are competing for the series title and $100,000 for their chosen charity.

For Bassingthwaighte that charity is the SISTER2sister program for the Life Changing Experiences Foundation.

I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Here! contestant Natalie Bassingthwaighte Picture: Supplied/Nigel Wright for Ten

“I felt like I’ve wanted some clarity in my life,” explained the former X Factor judge and mother of two young kids.

“I didn’t know if I could do it, the main reason being away from my kids. No pens, no paper, no books, just space and time in your head and I don’t think there’s any other time or place that I would be able to get that and that is a big part of why I thought, ‘yeah.’”

“I weighed it up and I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to find that clarity that I’ve been talking about. I felt like someone was telling me I should do it, almost like I felt guided.”

Of her kids – Harper and Hendrix – with musician husband Cam, she added: “If I am ever going to say ‘get me out of here’, [my kids] will be the reason, it won’t be because of the challenges. That is without a doubt the hardest part of the whole thing. We are a very close family and I want them to be proud of me and I want them to see that mummy is doing something that is important for her as well.”

Natalie Bassingthwaighte with her family, husband Cam, daughter Harper and son Hendrix. Picture: Supplied/Instagram

Bassingthwaighte is one of Australia’s biggest stars of TV and music. She’s known for her acting work on Neighbours and the recent Brock telemovie, as well as for hosting So You Think You Can Dance.

And as a singer, she’s had several top 10 hits as a solo artist and as frontwoman of the Rogue Traders.

“I feel like at the end of this, hopefully I will have maybe not all the answers but I will have allowed myself the time and space to hopefully have a life changing experience, that is what I am searching for.

As for her career, Bassingthwaighte doesn’t know what will come of her time on the show.

“It could go both ways,” she said. “It could be either great for your career or it might not be so great. When I get what I am searching for in here, then that will all make sense a bit more to me as to what is important.”

* The journalist is in South Africa as a guest of Channel Ten.

Originally published as Natalie Bassingthwaighte is scared of heights and spiders - but mostly being without fake tan in TV jungle