Simon Webbe has said that the X Factor has brought diversity to the music scene, claiming that an all black boyband like JLS would never have been signed without it.

The ‘Blue’ star told The Guardian: “I don’t think an all-black boyband like JLS would have been signed in the days when we were starting out. The X Factor’s great in that way.

“It shows the record companies what people really want – especially as most labels are run by old guys who have no idea what’s going on in clubs or on the streets.”

Former I’m A Celebrity contestant, Simon Webbe has revealed that he intends to marry his long term girlfriend Layla Manoochehri.

Simon told The Sun:

“I’ve been with Layla for four years and I still fancy the pants off her when she walks in the room.

“I’ve never been like that with anyone. So many girls before just wanted me as a stepping stone to something.

“But Layla is so caring. She thinks about me all the time — she’s so supportive.

“I said she could bring a mate to Australia and I’d pay, but she said, ‘No, I want to be there for you.’

“This show has really proved to me how much I care for her. It dawned on me how much I love her. I’d like to think I’d marry her.”

He added: “Layla has been around me a lot longer than most — I’ve known her since Blue did the first album.

“All she’s ever been is supportive of me. If that’s not the qualities of someone you’d want to marry one day then I don’t know what is.”

Simon Webbe has become the latest star to leave I’m A Celebrity 2008.

Simon wasn’t surprised to be leaving and told Ant and Dec that he never expected to last so long saying: "I didn’t think I would last this long. It was just nice to actually be a part of it."

Simon the camp to a "pressure cooker" saying:

"I didn’t think that I’d snap as much as I did. I am usually a cool character."

Simon was more reserved in his opinion of David Van Day than Nicola McLean was before him. He told Ant and Dec :

"I saw it in his eyes. I didn’t see him as honest," he said. He went on to describ David as a "nice man" and said that he expected him to make it to the final.

Simon Webbe stepped up to do the latest I’m A Celebrity Bushtucker Trial called ‘Last Gasp’ and was escorted to the bridge by Joe Swash and George Takei. 

Arriving at the challenge he spotted the water and immediately confessed to hosts, Ant & Dec that he had a fear of water.

‘I don’t swim at all but didn’t want to say anything in camp.  This is the whole part of the show, getting over your fears.’ He admitted that he would be doing this for his daughter. 

Ant and Dec then told Simon that under the water are six bubbles.  Five will contain stars whilst the sixth was the base bubble.  The bubbles provide the only way to breath under the water. 

Simon would have to collect the stars from each bubble using his mouth and teeth and return them to the base bubble.  The stars will be either red or yellow, the red are worth one meal for camp whilst the yellow are worth two meals.

Guarding the stars will be jungle critters including Oscar fish, water spiders, Eels crocodiles and water monitors.  Simon had six minutes to get as many stars back to the base bubble. 

Refusing to back out of the trial, Simon headed straight into the water.  Heading for the first bubble he successfully retrieved the red star and earned one meal for camp.

Catching his breath in the base bubble he headed to get his second star.  Guarded by water spiders Simon got the red star but dropped it and lost one meal for camp.

The next star was yellow and worth two meals, putting his head in the bubble which contained eels he successfully got the star moved on to the next one.  With three minutes left and a quick pep talk, he got another yellow star which was guarded by crocodiles.

With only one more star left Simon headed to the surface of the pool, told he had 30 seconds left he headed back down to get the final star from the bubble which also contained water monitors. 

Gaining six out of seven stars, Simon headed out of the pool.  Having faced his fears Simon received some oxygen from the medics on site.  Talking to Ant and Dec after the Trial Simon revealed ‘It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, anything after this is a breeze.’

Asked if he had conquered his fear Simon replied ‘No’.

During the night Simon Webbe was violently sick in the I’m A Celebrity camp, Esther woke to see him being ill and took care of him. ‘There’s no reason on earth why he should be so sick, he’s been eating the same as us. It was really unpleasant for him.’ In the Bush Telegraph Simon said: ‘My stomach is doing somersaults and I feel really week but I don’t know whether that is an element of being sick all night, my stomach is killing me.’

Because of his physical condition, Martina said : ‘It’s time for David to get off the bus.’ But David was relentless, he said to George: ‘We’ll see who is left today before we enter those discussions.’

Just before last night’s show closed, Simon was taken into the Bush Telegraph and told he had been excluded from the public vote for medical grounds and is not happy about the decision, as he feels guilty.

‘I’m disappointed because I would have liked to know if I was in the bottom two because I might have done well in the trial yesterday I would have stood a better chance of not being in the bottom two but rules are rules. I don’t want any special treatment, it will look like that to other people but if I am sick, I am sick.’

Producers told Simon that he had not been given any special treatment. ‘You were really sick last night it was the medics decision, and your health is more important than anything and their decision is final. It’s bad luck.’

Simon Webbe’s girlfriend has flown out to Australia amid speculation that she may be entering the I’m A Celebrity camp.

Former Misteeq singer Su-Elise Nash has been reported as the next entrant into the jungle but some are now saying that Layla from X Factor group Girlband may be entering this week.

Layla is currently dating former Blue singer Simon Webbe and sources suggest that some of the campmates may be allowed some alone time with their loved ones this week if they win a certain task or if their fellow celebs vote them worthy.

Former Blue singer, Simon Webbe, has been chatting about his time as a model in the I’m A Celebrity jungle camp and some shocking details have emerged!

Simon revealed in a chat with former TV presenter, Esther Rantzen that he once modelled for a sex guide. He said:

“Positions and all that. It was with a lady. It was amazingly embarrassing. I knew it was for a sex guide but I didn’t know I had to get naked to do it until I got there. I was in one room sorting out my clothes and I walked in and she was sitting there butt naked talking to the photographer. I kept going to the bathroom. Cold water.”

“But when you’re holding a position and they’re breathing in your ear and you’re naked. And your skin is touching theirs. They said to do this. I was kind of embarrassed. I never saw her again. It [the book] sold out I think.”

I’m not being a perv or anything, but would anyone have an idea of where I can get a copy…..purely for research purposes of course!

In tonight’s I’m A Celebrity you will be treated to the sight of Joe Swash and Simon Webbe taking part in the Trauma Tank challenge.  They were faced with a large tank with arm sized holes cut into its side.  Within each hole various jungle critters – rats, eels and scorpions – guarded a small star.  The winner would be the celebrity that gathered the most stars.  And that celebrity and his team would secure not only food but a more comfortable camp.

The pressure was on.  Simon said ‘Carly was the first to volunteer.  At the end of the day it is a team effort so I wasn’t going to jump in and take over.  Robert Kilroy-Silk piled on the pressure saying are you sure because if you don’t win were not going to eat which is a massive thing for us. And it’s the first trial so you want to start as you mean to go on.  I saw in her eyes that she obviously wanted to do it because maybe she thought that she must.  I don’t know what’s at stake but I’ve got to be a gentleman and ask the question. After a long discussion she said you do it. Obviously the pressure is on me. I’ve always been a team player. It’s all about teamwork and that’s what this show is all about.’

He added ‘It’s a pity he’s on the opposite side because I’d hate to beat his ass at this because he’s a friend.  Don’t mess with the Si.  You get caught up in the Webbe!’ 

Joe Swash echoed Simon’s apprehension.  He said ‘I’m regretting my decision big time.  I thought I’d sit back and let everybody do the hard work for the first week and as soon at they said do you want to do a challenge I stick my hand up like an idiot. I’m thinking I should have kept my mouth shut.’

‘She (Martina) didn’t want me to do it in the first place. I could tell that she didn’t because there’s quite a lot riding on it.  As soon as I put my hand up I could see her face drop. Then she had a bit of a dig at me outside so I think she’ll be quite stern.  And she’s a big girl isn’t she!  I really hope I don’t get the wrong side of her.’

‘If I could change my mind I would now.  I’m starting to think it wasn’t the brightest decision I ever made.’

Former Blue singer, Simon Webbe has revealed that he has many fears and phobias which may cause him some problems during his time on I’m A Celebrity.

"I’m afraid of everything, to be honest. I’m not ashamed to say it, maybe when I was younger I would turn around and say ‘I’m not afraid of anything’, but I’m a 30-year-old man so I can’t be bothered with that anymore," he said.

Webbe also revealed that his song writing skills will help him get along with campmates on the show.

"I study human beings; that’s my job, that’s why I write songs. So for me I’m just an observer. I’ve been an observer for a long time and I’ll make my mind up once I get there," he said.

Name: Simon Webbe

Age: 30

Occupation: Singer and Songwriter

Celebrity supporters: Danny Dyer, Nicola Stapleton, Duncan James

Phobias: Everything

Special skills: Being a strong alpha male

“I’m afraid of everything to be honest. I’m not ashamed to say it.”

Singer Simon Webbe has confessed he is frightened about every aspect of the jungle, but not what people think about him.

He says: “I’m afraid of everything to be honest. I’m not ashamed to say it, maybe when I was younger I would turn around and say, ‘I’m not afraid of anything’, but I’m a 30-year-old man so I can’t be bothered with that anymore.

“Anything that crawls, anything that runs on the floor, anything that slithers, anything that can fall on me and get into little nooks and crannies, I’m afraid of everything. So I don’t know why I’m going to the jungle. I don’t like heights, I don’t like water – I don’t swim, I don’t even swim in the swimming pool, I’m not a very strong swimmer.

“I don’t really care how people find me. I think there will be a good mixture of people there. I think there will be divas, I think there’s going to be anti-divas, there’s going to be people that are going to struggle and there’s probably people that will bully them if only to take their minds off their own situations. I study human beings; that’s my job, that’s why I write songs. So for me I’m just an observer. I’ve been an observer for a long time and I’ll make my mind up once I get there.”

Simon also reveals he’s worried that his friendliness with the ladies could be misconstrued as flirting on camera. The hunky singer said he wouldn’t want to upset his girlfriend by flirting with another girl in the camp.

He says: “I’ve never thought I’m a big flirt. I’ve gone through years saying to myself, ‘No you’re not, you’re not, you’re not, you’re not, you’re not’, and people have gone, ‘You are, Si, you are’.

“And I’ve realised that now, so obviously I don’t want to be flirting because that’s not fair on my girlfriend…and this is the kind of show where you’re going to be put in an environment with people and for me you know I’ve got to stay focused and stay true to my lovely girlfriend, which I will be.

“If anyone’s flirting with me then that’s a different story. Then I’ll just nip it in the bud, and you know just be straight. ‘Do you like me? I’ve got a girlfriend – put the brakes on it right now’.”

He’s also worried his worst personal habit – of putting his hands down the front of his pants – will offend viewers.

He says: “My most annoying habit, and one that I’ve had since I was a baby so I can’t help it, is that I put my hands down my front. Teachers in school used to make me sit on my hands. If I’m chilling then I just do it. I don’t know where it stems from, whether it’s from when I was in my mum’s belly; it must be genetic because I really can’t help it.

“That’s one habit I’ve got which I’m trying to stop. One thing that I find annoying in other people is snoring. If people snore when I try to get to sleep I will go crazy. Literally someone will get hurt.”

The singer says his other biggest fear about the jungle is getting kidnapped by a gorilla.

He says: “I’m scared that a big gorilla is going to come out in the middle of the night and start kidnapping people, because you’ve seen those programmes like Lost, those kinds of things don’t go so well with me.

“So I think I’ll be sleeping with one eye open. I’m an insomniac anyway so I don’t really sleep that much. As far as the journey into camp goes, the only thing I’m probably worried about is being attacked on the ground by some four-legged creature jumping out and just grabbing someone from the back of the queue. You’ve seen those movies – you don’t mess with things in the jungle, man. What are we doing there? You know we came out of there years and years ago, now we’re going back in there to like mess with Mother Nature.”

Simon says he’s going into the jungle to learn more about himself and has been taking secret advice from previous contestants Myleene Klass and Antony Costa.

He says: “I think the number one reason is to find a part of myself and get back to nature where we all come from. I think the whole thing is the mind over matter thing. I pushed myself into singing when the people around me were saying, ‘Look you’ve got quite a good voice, maybe if you worked at it you could do something and have a career’.

“My fear was opening my mouth and these notes coming out that people may not like so I’ve overcome that fear now. The next fear is going into the outdoors and doing challenges and things like that. It’s going to be fun and I’m going out to enjoy it.

“Antony [Costa] gave me some advice although I can’t tell you what that is. Myleene Klass has given me some sound advice as well. But to be honest I did think of it as a game show, I’ve got to go in there and do certain things, I’ve got to do this, that and the other but then I thought that’s not being me.

“I think this whole programme is about discovering who I am stripped away from all my comfort zones and I believe that I will cope quite well.”

But he warns fellow campmates that although he sees himself as a simple man, he will be grumpy in a morning.

He says: “Simple is one word to describe me, which is why I’m called Simon. I’m very giving, sensitive and have a dry sense of humour that not everyone may get at first and I can be quite snappy as well.

“I think the only part I’m going to struggle with is the eating and not getting my food. I eat every two hours. A lot of people think that to lose weight you have to stop eating but it’s better if you eat little and often. But that is going to get taken away as soon as I get into the jungle.

“I can get a little snappy and I’m not a morning person, it takes me about two hours to wake up so I just hope nobody asks me to smile first thing in the morning because you are just not going to get a smile from me. I don’t speak to anyone, even in my own house. I grew up in a house of silence in the first hour of the morning. I think my mum had a rule, ‘Don’t talk to me until you’ve brushed you teeth’, which is understandable.

“A lot of people may think that I’m arrogant because of the way my face is but I can’t help it, it’s like my mum, every time people see my mum they always say, ‘Smile’, and it’s just like, ‘Why do you want me to smile?’, I think I’ve got a moody face so people assume I’m arrogant.”

He also adds that the things he will miss most about home are his family and his mobile.

He says: “Just being able to have access to the internet and access to people through my phone, even if I’m not speaking to people I still play games on it when I’m bored. I think handling boredom is going to be the hardest thing for me. But then it’s a great excuse to be bored, which is not a bad thing. Because I’m always busy so not being able to do anything I think for the first few days will be hard, but it’s like going on holiday, its takes the first three or four days to get settled and that’s when you start appreciating exactly what I’m there for.”

And he promises his fellow band members that he won’t be dishing the dirt on them while he’s in the jungle.

He says: “We’ve always sworn that what goes on in Blue stays in Blue, so I don’t think it would be fair of me to give away all the juicy gossip about me and the boys.”