Name: Robert Kilroy-Silk

Age: 66

Occupation: TV Presenter and Politician

Phobias: None

Special Skills: Chopping wood

“My wife would say I’m difficult. My daughter would say I’m difficult. My son would say I’m difficult. So I assume I’m difficult.”

Politician Robert Kilroy-Silk has revealed that his family are dreading him going into the jungle because they are worried about what he is going to do.

The former TV presenter has also revealed that he has a surprise in store for Ant and Dec this year – he plans to make sure they get a taste of any Bushtucker Trial he has to endure.

He says: “Every member of my family is full of apprehension about me going into the jungle because they think I’m going to be a nightmare and screw up in some way. They’re dreading it.

“My wife would say I’m difficult. My daughter would say I’m difficult. My son would say I’m difficult. So I assume I’m difficult. I don’t know what difficult means. I’ve never understood that. I don’t go out of my way to be difficult but even my mother would have said, ‘Oh he’s a nightmare’.

“But I don’t know what they mean by all that because I am actually a really nice, gentle, kind, considerate person.”

He says Ant and Dec ought to experience what the contestants go through. “They really need to know don’t they?

“If you are asking people to do things then they ought to experience them so that they can empathise and ask the right questions.”

“So I think we might want to include them in some way or other,” he said, mischievously.

Robert says he is joining the series for a challenge and to see the real him.

He says: “I am looking forward to it as a challenge as it is really going to interesting.

“I’ve not been away from the family and the kids for that period of time before, and the challenges of the things you are expected to do is going to be different. I’m sure I’ll find that fulfilling and rewarding.

“I am going into the jungle because there’s going to be something different, something I’ve never done before presumably. I’ll be pushed or stretched and hopefully I will succeed in overcoming the challenges and some of the difficulties that I’m confronted with.

“Obviously I have a certain amount of apprehension – ‘Will I mess up?’ At the same time I’m intrigued to see if I can succeed in dealing with the trials.”

He is also curious to learn about other people and thinks that he will get on well with most people despite being very opinionated.

He says: “I like people and I enjoy being with people, I like meeting new people. I’m curious about them, I always want to learn about what they are doing and where they have been and where they are going and what they are thinking about.

“I don’t think I’ll have any problems about integrating with a group of people. I’ve been dealing with people all of my life, both as a Member of Parliament, as a member of the European Parliament, and of course, most important of all, on ‘Kilroy’.

“Obviously if there are people who are difficult, there might be a problem, but I get on with most people.

“I understand that going into a situation like the jungle, you have to be reasonably relaxed and make compromises, I’m prepared to – I’m intelligent enough to know that we have to all live together, and work together and make things as easy as possible for each other. I’ll go in that frame of mind. Whether it will work out in practice for twenty four hours a day I don’t know.

“Clearly I have very strong opinions and other people will have too, but I don’t see the jungle as being the place where they should be aired. It’s not, after all, a political meeting, a public meeting, or Question Time is it? On the other hand, if people are expressing opinions that I dislike I may decide that it could be an interesting discussion.”

Robert admits that his most annoying habit is being a control freak “apparently”.

He says: “I suppose my irritating habit is wanting things done properly wanting things done right, done correctly all the time as (my wife) Jan would say, ‘Being a control freak’. What would irritate me? People irritate me who are intolerant. People who are not helpful or cooperative.”

Admitting that the trials are something he is apprehensive about, Robert reveals he is still in denial about taking part in the show.

He says: “If I thought about the trials I would be apprehensive so I deliberately go into denial mode, I’m not thinking about them. This is absolutely true. If I thought about them I’d probably decide I’m not going to do this.

“So I don’t, I haven’t thought about them. I’m aware of them of course because I’ve seen the programme. I like and enjoy it. But I’ve put them into the far recesses of my mind. So I’m not thinking about them. I think, ‘Well, it might not happen’ and if it does we’ll see. I’ll either deal with them or I won’t. There’s only one way or the other. I either cope or I don’t cope.”

And the things he will miss most about home are his family – and reveals that his wife, Jan,

would be his dream campmate.

He says: “I will miss the family I will miss Jan and I will miss my children and my grandchildren, particularly the grandchildren.

“Jan and I have been together for nearly fifty years. We’ve hardly ever been apart. And we spend an enormous amount of time with each other. And we never stop talking to each other – though she does tend to say it’s me that’s talking, not her.

“But I will miss her enormously. And I will also miss my grandchildren because I see quite a lot of them. I’m very close to them and being without them for a couple of weeks will be a great ordeal.

“Jan would be my dream friend because we would have a really good time together because she is capable and competent and we would work together as a team, as we always have.”