'I'll miss seeing the kids': The jungle chat that broke Australia's heart

'I'm A Celeb' contestant, Reggie Bird, opened up about how losing her eyesight and helping her son with Cystic Fibrosis has impacted her parenting. And everyone sobbed. 

If there’s one thing that keeps us hooked on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, it’s those rare, raw moments when the glittering facade of showbiz drops, and we’re left with the kind of unfiltered humanity that reminds us why we love these people in the first place.

This week, it was Reggie Bird and Matty J who stole the spotlight - not for a trial, not for a prank, but for a conversation that had us all reaching for the tissues.

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Reggie opens up

Reggie, who won hearts long ago on Big Brother, gave us a glimpse into her life as a mum to two kids, one of whom battles Cystic Fibrosis. And when I say glimpse, I mean the kind that sticks with you long after the credits roll. Sitting in camp, Reggie opened up to Matty J about the struggles of balancing her son’s health needs while being there for her daughter. She spoke of nights spent doing physiotherapy instead of bedtime stories, and the guilt that gnaws at her for the moments she’s had to miss.

"I feel like I’m failing her sometimes," Reggie admitted, her voice thick with emotion.

Matty listened - really listened - and it was his empathetic responses that made the exchange all the more poignant. This wasn’t reality TV for the sake of drama. This was reality, full stop.

Reggie Bird opened up to Matty J about losing her eyesight and helping her son with Cystic Fibrosis. Image: Channel 10

The conversation then shifted to Reggie’s battle with vision loss. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disorder that gradually robs a person of their vision, Reggie’s eyesight is severely limited. And mate, if you weren’t already a puddle of feelings, this would’ve done you in. She shared the judgment she’s faced online after posting a video of herself dancing.

"People commented, ‘How can she dance? I thought she was blind.’"

Matty’s audible gasp mirrored what we were all thinking: Wow, how do people have the nerve?

"People just need educating," Reggie explained. "Kindness is a spectrum. Not everyone has to have the big black glasses and sit at home doing nothing. That’s what people think blindness is."

Matty nodded, visibly moved. And just when you thought your heart couldn’t break any more, Reggie, in a confessional, let the vulnerability flood in.

"There’s such a misunderstanding about blindness," she said, her voice trembling. "Because I try to keep going all the time, sometimes you get knocked down just for trying."

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'I will miss seeing the kids'

When the cameras returned to the conversation, Matty asked the question we were all dreading but desperate to know the answer to.

"With your eyesight… are you really scared?"

Reggie’s honesty was gut-wrenching. "I reckon I’ll change when it’s all totally gone. I won’t be able to do as much as I do now."

"What will you miss the most?" Matty pressed gently.

"Seeing the kids," Reggie said, her voice cracking. "I’ll miss the kids."

Matty J was visibly moved by his conversation with Reggie. Image: Channel 10

At this point, Matty - ever the gentleman - couldn’t hold back his tears. In a confessional moment, he choked up as he reflected on the weight of Reggie’s reality. "She’s a mum who is afraid of never being able to see her kids again, and all of a sudden, my struggles seem so insignificant."

Back at the camp, Reggie’s resilience shone through. "I never know when my last day of seeing will be," she said, before immediately trying to lighten the mood. "That’s why I’m so blessed to be here. To enjoy and see all this stuff. Chuck it in the memory bank."

Matty laughed through his tears, and when he hugged her, it wasn’t just a TV moment. It was a human moment. And isn’t that what makes this show so special? It’s not just about eating bugs or facing fears - it’s about connection.

Both Reggie and Matty were in tears. Image: Channel 10

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Harrison Reid’s wholesome throwback

But let’s not forget the lighter side of the jungle, which was served up by none other than Bondi lifesaver Harrison Reid. In a rare moment of levity, Matty J and Sam Frost quizzed Harrison on what it takes to become part of Bondi’s elite lifeguard team. Turns out, it’s no walk in the park - annual 800m tests and a 13-minute time limit mean there’s no room for slacking.

When asked about his motivation, Harrison’s answer was as pure as they come. He admitted that lifeguarding had always been his dream job, thanks to none other than Baywatch. And no, not the slow-mo running scenes - he was there for the rescues, thank you very much.

"I discovered Baywatch when I was six or seven," he shared earnestly. "I just loved watching the rescues."

Cue Matty and Sam’s cheeky grins. "Just the rescues?" they teased.

But Harrison, bless him, wasn’t having a bar of it. He doubled down, sharing how he’d practice lifesaving on his teddy bears, strapping them to boogie boards and rescuing them from his backyard pool. If that doesn’t warm your heart, I don’t know what will.

And that, my friends, is the magic of I’m a Celebrity. One minute, you’re crying into your cuppa over Reggie’s heartbreakingly beautiful resilience, and the next, you’re grinning like a fool at the image of little Harrison saving stuffed toys from imaginary rips. It’s a rollercoaster, sure, but it’s one we’ll gladly line up for week after week.

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! airs Sundays at 7 and Monday - Thursday at 7.30 on 10 and 10 Play

Originally published as 'I'll miss seeing the kids': The jungle chat that broke Australia's heart