I’m A Celebrity’s Lisa Riley reveals real reason for signing up to the ITV show as she heads to the jungle

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’s Lisa Riley revealed why she signed up for the ITV show as she headed into the jungle on Sunday.

The 49-year-old Emmerdale star was seen pushing her luggage through the airport as she landed in Australia.

Walking towards her door, Lisa proves her ability to compete by stating that ‘us northerners are made of tough skin’.

She added: ‘I worked on a farm in Emmerdale for many years, so I guess you know being Mandy Dingle is part of my job. ‘I’m just here to have fun and have a really good laugh’.

Lisa looked happy, wearing a nude, low-cut top layered under a black cardigan as she walked towards her door.

He was later seen getting into a white taxi and waving goodbye.

The Emmerdale star was seen pushing her luggage through the airport in Australia looking confident ahead of the show.

Lisa, who has played Mandy Dingle on the ITV soap for 11 years, was the second contestant to arrive in Australia.

On his arrival he said: ‘We did Dingle Down Under many years ago, so it’s only fair we do it again.’

The comment was in reference to Emmerdale film The Dingles Down Under, which was released in 1997.

While Lisa told the Daily Mail that her four suitcases contained ‘lots of jewellery’, she didn’t pack lightly for her trip.

Lisa said: ‘My family are really supportive of me, they’re really happy I’m here. I have no problem with creepy crawlies, I’ve worked on a farm for many years so being Mandy Dingle is part of my job.

‘I look forward to lovely people, I’m a people person and someone who likes to chat. ‘I have so many things because I’m such a girly girl.’

Lisa added: ‘There’s a lot of pretense, I just have a lot of options.’

The soap star revealed she had an ‘amazing’ 22-hour flight as she managed to sleep and will now head to a secret location where she will be phone-free for a few days until pre-show filming begins.

Walking to her door, Lisa proved her ability to compete by saying, “We northerners are made of tough leather.”

Lisa didn’t pack lightly for her trip, telling the Daily Mail she had ‘lots of jewelery’ in her four suitcases

Other celebrities flying Down Under include YouTuber Morgan Burtwistle, known as Angryginge, musician Martin Kemp, comedian Ruby Wax, TV presenter Alex Scott and Jack Osbourne. They are expected to be joined by comedian Eddie Kadi, rapper Aitch and presenter Vogue Williams.

Lisa, who turns 50 next year, previously shared her hopes of joining the show, saying: ‘I’m a celebrity… this was something I would do before I turn 50 as a test for myself.’

In last year’s series, McFly’s Danny Jones beat a star-studded line-up including Coleen Rooney, Maura Higgins, GK Barry and Reverend Richard Coles to become series champions.

But the married singer has courted controversy since he was filmed sharing a drunken kiss with campmate Maura in March.

Lisa first joined the cast of Emmerdale in 1995 as Mandy Dingle, but left the soap six years later.

She has had a number of other roles, including Fat Friends and Waterloo Road, and competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013.

18 years after her exit from the soap, Lisa has returned to Emmerdale and, when asked by fans over the years about reprising her role, admitted she finally realized she had no reason not to return.

He said: ‘I’m the kind of person who has to have an answer, I can’t leave anything open-ended.

‘I was doing the Q&A on Strictly and 4,000 people were asking me when I was coming back to Emmerdale. But I’ve had it since the day I left.’

Earlier this year, it was reported that ITV plans to keep I’m a Celebrity on screens for the next five years, bringing the show to its 30th series.

Sources claimed that ITV has started talks with Australian bosses to secure the forest area where they are filming until 2030.