Who is Sinitta? I’m a Celebrity South Africa contestant and pop icon

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A new group of celebrities will be competing in the second season of I’m a Celebrity South Africa on ITV, all hoping to be named this year’s Legend.

The new season of the All Stars spin-off begins next week, on Monday, April 6th at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX. With the first episode almost here, ITV has announced this year’s celebrity contestants.

Pop singer Sinitta remembers her first experience on the show as particularly challenging. She faced numerous trials while in Australia and was one of the first contestants voted off. Hopefully, she’ll have more luck this time around.

It’s been 15 years since Sinitta was last on the show – so what has she been doing? Here’s an update on the singer before the new season begins.

Who is Sinitta?

Age: 62

Job: Pop icon

Instagram: @thesinittaofficial

Singer Sinitta, who was born in Seattle, Washington, became popular in the 1980s with her song “So Macho.” She’s also well-known for being a long-time friend of Simon Cowell, with whom she once had a romantic relationship.

She often assisted the prominent music executive during the ‘Judges’ Houses’ portion of The X Factor, and became well-known for a memorable appearance wearing a dress crafted entirely from leaves.

The X Factor judge has dated other famous people, including Brad Pitt. They had an on-again, off-again relationship from 1986 to 1988.

Sinitta is a familiar face on reality TV, having competed on shows like Celebrity MasterChef, The Masked Singer, Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, and Celebs Go Dating in 2022.

What season of I’m a Celebrity was Sinitta on?

Sinitta originally appeared on the show fifteen years ago in 2011, but was eliminated early after only a brief time. Now she’s returned, hoping to stay in the competition much longer this time around.

Why is Sinitta returning to I’m a Celebrity?

Sinitta hopes appearing on the South African version of the show will help her overcome her fears, which she openly admits include being afraid of pretty much everything.

She admitted she’d hoped appearing on the show would overcome her fears, but it didn’t completely work. It did help her become less sensitive to them for a time – she recalled being able to watch a spider crawl across the floor on her final day, which was something she hadn’t thought possible.

You know, after everything I’ve seen – really seen – while traveling, I found myself strangely calm in intense situations. I remember once, instead of panicking and running, I just… watched something unfold. But then you come home, back to London, and suddenly a big spider in the bathtub sends you scrambling for safety! It’s weird how something so normal can feel so terrifying after you’ve faced bigger things – it just throws you right back to being scared again.

I’m hoping a trip to the South African jungle will help me overcome my fears, as being afraid of so many things really holds me back.

I’m a Celebrity… South Africa returns on Monday 6 April at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

Don’t miss I’m a Celebrity… South Africa! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app now for daily TV recommendations and exclusive content.

Authors

Phoebe Kowhai BarnesFreelance Writer

Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a freelance writer specializing in pop culture and entertainment for TopMob. Before that, she was a Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab, where she oversaw their local team. She holds a BA (Hons) degree in English Literature from the University of Nottingham.

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2026-04-06 12:10