Charlie Brooks has slammed ITV bosses over a stunt involving her daughter on 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!'.
The 'EastEnders' star was crowned Queen of the Jungle on Saturday and was finally reunited with Kiki - just days after the seven year old was left distraught after a missed opportunity to see her mum on the show.
Charlie had been given the opportunity to win luxuries by choosing one of five doors to open, and little did she know that her daughter was stood behind one of them.
The actress picked the wrong one, and little Kiki became visibly distressed when she realised she wouldn't get to see her mum.
Charlie was later in tears upon learning she missed out on seeing the youngster, and she's opened up about the incident to The Sun.
She says: "I signed up for this show, but Kiki didn't. I didn't want her to be so upset. I had no idea this was happening. It was my lowest point.
"My mum gave the green light for her to be there because it was an opportunity for Kiki to see me - and I think she thought she would.
"I felt like I'd been kicked when I realised she had been behind that door. I felt so sad for both of us and I couldn't stop thinking about it afterwards. I kept picturing Kiki's face. She would have been excited about seeing me and nervous about being on the show - and then disappointed when we failed the task.
"Afterwards I went straight up and spoke to the show bosses. They said she 'had a moment', but assured me she was OK after they gave her a bowl of ice cream.
"Luckily there were only a few days left so I just had to focus on taking one day at a time until I left the jungle and could see her."
Asked if she felt the task was cruel, Charlie added: "A lot of people have said they think it was a step too far and maybe it was."
Being reunited with Kiki was a light at the end of the tunnel at times for Charlie: "Sometimes the trees around the camp felt like a prison. The mental stress they put us through was intense, and at times I thought I couldn't get through it.
"But I had a film of Kiki that I would watch in my head. I would picture seeing her when I got out of the jungle - I couldn't wait to snuggle her and squeeze her.
"And then I would imagine all the things we would do together - like the slides we would go on in a theme park and her eighth birthday, which is coming up.
"I missed her like crazy and coping with that on a daily basis is really tough. It makes you feel constant butterflies in your stomach. But if I hadn't have done it, she would have killed me. She was desperate for me to go into the jungle.
"She even told me before I went in 'Mummy, I'm going to vote for you to do all the disgusting trials.' And she did - on her Nan's phone."
However, the reigning TV Queen admits she almost didn't agree to do the show over fears she would suffer anxiety attacks live on air.
She explains: "I only signed up about a week before flying to Australia. I was worried about missing my family and getting too anxious.
"I am a worrier and I get anxiety attacks occasionally, like a lot of people. It can take over. So I wasn't sure how I would react in that environment.
"But actually, I was fine. I just trusted myself. I know that I'm not a bad person, I know that I'm not a b**ch, and I just stayed true to who I am. So knowing that people voted for me to win has been a real confidence boost. I want to use the experience to stop worrying so much.
"When I spoke to the show's psychiatrist afterwards, she said I need to take what I've learnt and use it to let go of my worries and insecurities."
