Paul: Janet nearly broke me

Paul Burrell today describes Janet Street-Porter as a "whining battleaxe" in I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.

Princess Diana's former butler said he was " terrified" of his fellow contestant. "Janet Street-Porter was perhaps one of the scariest creatures I encountered in the jungle," he said. "She almost broke me, but not quite. I was determined not to allow her to break my resolve.

"We just rubbed each other up the wrong way. She was a whining battleaxe like Mildred and I didn't quite stand up to her enough - a bit like George. It became a battle of wills and I stepped down a lot more than she did, but I learned to say 'no' to her a lot more towards the end. She is a fierce battleaxe of a woman and her constant moaning and goading began to feel like she was clubbing me over the head every day."

Their confrontations attracted millions of viewers, many of whom stopped watching when Street- Porter was evicted. "I conquered my fear of water, heights and snakes but it was impossible to conquer Janet," added Burrell. "She is a challenge in herself."

From the safety of his hotel room in Queensland, Australia, he made one final, barbed jibe. "She is quite overbearing and aggressively antagonistic and the man she lives with deserves a medal," said Burrell. He described comedian Joe Pasquale, who won the programme, as "great company and a quiet, calming influence".

The former butler irritated his co-stars by singing West End hits, constantly tidying up and wearing pink outfits, winning him the title of "camp leader" in some quarters. But he said: "I like to keep the mood upbeat. If that is misinterpreted as being camp, then it's a little silly. I was always singing at Kensington Palace too. The princess said she always knew where I was because she could hear me."