With a reality TV reputation that precedes her, Cyrell Paule -- aka Cyclone Cyrell -- was ready to tackle anything the jungle threw her way. But Cyrell wasn't greeted by the warm glow of the main camp's fire; instead, she and Matt Zukowski found themselves the first inhabitants of the Elephant's Graveyard.
"I was like, what the hell, man? Why am I here? Do the Jungle Gods hate me already?" Cyrell told 10, laughing. "I got thrown in the deep end... but I thought, if this is really hard already, surely it can't get any harder. And let's be honest... it f**kin' did!"
No stranger to reality TV, Cyrell said coming into the jungle was "probably one of the hardest things" she's done in her career to date.
"My star sign is Aries, I'm a bit of a daredevil naturally so I'm the type of person who, if you tell me to do something, I say yes," Cyrell explained.
"I can't back down, I don't like looking like I wouldn't even try something, as much as it would scare me. That's just my personality, I've always got to give it a shot, no matter what, and try my best," she continued.
And while she'd scream and cry when faced with a challenge or trial, Cyrell never gave up and would often bring home the stars. When asked if she thought that some of her fellow campmates underestimated her abilities in trials, Cyrell said, "I underestimated myself, honestly".
"I was sitting there thinking, Girl, you can't do this! [But] when you see everybody else fighting and giving it your all, it makes you want to compete even more.
"I've always been one of those people, I've at least got to try otherwise I'd be more annoyed at myself for not giving it a go."
With a fear of snakes (like any sensible person), Cyrell was forced to confront one of the jungle's most renowned trials, the Viper Room. Alongside Concetta, the pair entered the underground chamber and were joined by over 130 snakes. Not only did the duo complete the challenge, but they broke the record for how long they were in there.
"Well, bow down to your bloody queen... the queen of the snakes! You can call me that because I'm kind of a snake myself," Cyrell laughed.
In camp, Cyrell also opened up about the bullying she faced as a result of appearing on MAFS, her insecurities, and showed a more vulnerable side to herself. Seeing those moments, Cyrell said, was actually more difficult than watching herself go in the Viper Room.
"It's a side of me that people have never really seen," she admitted. "People think 'Cyclone', and they think about a fierce, fearless girl who is always so strong. It was hard for me to watch it back; it's hard for me to show that soft side," she continued.
"The feedback I got was so supportive. I had so many people DM me or comment, telling me their own stories. I was in awe," Cyrell said.
"There are so many women and young girls out there who deal with the same thing, and, for some reason, they found inspiration from me of all people! When I saw that, all my fears and everything I was worried about just stopped," she said. If sharing her story helped even one person, that was a bigger achievement than anything else.
Throughout her time in the jungle, Cyrell would often draw strength from her son, Boston, and the idea that she was showing him how strong she could be. Now, being able to watch the series with him and show him all the adventures she had has been a highlight.
"Boston, when he saw the snakes, was my proudest moment," Cyrell said. "But, this is how I know he's my son, he said, 'I'm so proud of you, mummy, you did so good... but why do you always cry?' I'm like, Oi, I just broke the record!" she laughed.
All our celebs have been in the jungle for a good cause, and for Cyrell, she chose Dolly's Dream, which provides education, resources and support for young people and their families dealing with bullying in all its forms.
"They're a charity I definitely relate to, I love their work, and it's something that is very dear to me," she explained. Sharing with the camp the heartbreaking story of a close friend whose son died by suicide as a result of bullying.
Cyrell said, "As a mother, I couldn't imagine a world without my son, but it also brought me back to my years when I was younger and being bullied at school because of the scar on my face.
"I really wanted Australia to hear about the amazing work they do, and if I could help in any way, this was it."
You can find out more about Dolly's Dream, as well as all the charities our celebs were in the jungle supporting, here.
Voting is now open to crown your next King or Queen of the jungle! Head HERE and vote for your fave to crown Gary, Luke, or Concetta!
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Grand Finale airs Sunday at 7pm on 10.
