Brendan Fevola hopes he has proved he’s ‘not an idiot’ after winning I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!

AFTER struggles with gambling, booze and infidelity rumours, Brendan Fevola hopes he is employable again following his win in the South African jungle.

BRENDAN Fevola hopes he’s redeemed himself to the point of being employable again.

Having struggled with gambling, alcohol and accusations of infidelity, the AFL player says appearing, and winning, reality seriesI’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! has changed his life.

“It was important for me to come on this show to show people I’m not an idiot,” Fevola told News Corp in his first sit down interview after his six weeks in the South African jungle. “I have stuffed up in the past and the hardest thing I think is with the family.”

Fevola, 35, who lost 15kgs in the jungle, has three daughters — Mia, Leni and Lulu — with partner Alex Fevola. The pair were married in 2005 but later separated and are now back together with Alex and the kids flying to Africa for the final.

“Alex gets tarred with the same brush because I was an idiot and people think, ‘what is she doing?’” he explained.

Brendan Fevola with partner Alex and daughters Mia, Leni and Lulu. Picture: Network 10

“Alex said to me when she came into camp that she was proud and I don’t think she’s said that to me in about eight years and that meant the world to me. I nearly cried when she said it. I am only young and I was probably really immature in my footy days and I thought that I was bigger than what I was and took a lot of things for granted. I didn’t have too much knowledge with money, I just used to waste it and live life every day like there was no tomorrow.”

Of his and Alex’s relationship, he said: “I love her, she knows I love her and she loves me and the kids are happy and at the end of the day that is all that matters. After what I’ve put her through, I’m a pretty lucky guy to have her. She has always been that one person to support me through everything and for a person to do that she is a special person and I am pretty lucky.”

Is another marriage on the cards for the pair?

“I don’t know, will she marry me again? We will see, I’ll let you know.”

Brendan Fevola hopes he achieved his mission to change public opinion after a series of controversies throughout his career. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Paul ‘The Chief’ Harragon came second on the series and was somewhat of a guiding figure and role model for Fevola in his plans for the future.

“I want to implement that stuff in my life and grow up,” he said.

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“Since I finished footy and got out of that bubble, I really haven’t put a foot wrong. Coming on this show, everyone can see I’m a loveable dude that loves having fun.

Asked what he would advise young sports men coming through the ranks, he said: “appreciate what you’ve got, you do get a lot of money and make sure you have someone you trust to invest your money. Don’t waste it and don’t go to the casino and waste all your money. The main thing is you are never ever bigger than the game, it doesn’t matter how good a player you are or how big a superstar you are, when you’re finished that is it and if you waste that opportunity, it is done.”

Going forward, Fevola is hoping to get into radio off the back of his heightened profile from I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!

“To tell you the truth, I work and it has been pretty hard to get a job,” he said.

Series winner Brendan Fevola with Laurina Fleure, who placed third, and Paul ‘The Chief’ Harragon who came second. Picture: Nigel Wright/Ten

“Hopefully this opens a few doors because I’ve obviously stuffed up in life. I just had footy and when footy finished I had nothing.”

Fevola currently works with Alex’s sister’s transport company as well as for sports apparel business, CGR Sportswear.

“I love doing that but I do want to get into radio and I want to do some sports stuff but because of my reputation I couldn’t get in and that is fair enough because I did stuff up,” he said. “Hopefully this might open up a few doors and I could work my way up and do something in radio, I’ve got a good head for it, I’ll probably knock the microphone with my chin.”

During his time on the show, Fevola spoke about his time in rehab and his depression. It took him years to open up for fear of people “thinking less of me”.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a macho bloke or a young child going through it (depression),” he said. “If you keep it bottled up, it explodes at one point and that’s what happened to me, I’d have a drink and it would just go bang and I would get in trouble. So never ever be afraid to speak up because people are there to help and they want to help.”

* The journalist is in South Africa as a guest of Channel Ten covering I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!