A furious feud has broken out in the I’m A Celebrity jungle, just three days after it launched.
Viewers watched on Tuesday night’s show Nella Rose, 26, calling out First Dates star Fred Sirieix, 51, over a comment he made where he said he could ‘be her father’, just hours after revealing she had lost both her parents.
The YouTuber told Fred she felt so ‘hurt’ by the remark she has refused to eat any food prepared by the restaurateur, leaving her going hungry after her gruelling No Time To Cry Bushtucker Trial.
But Fred’s joke acted as a trigger to Nella after her tragic past with the devastating loss of both parents plunging her and her older brother into homelessness while she was at university.
Here we take a look of the 26-year-old’s rags to riches story – from family tragedy to becoming a social media sensation…
Locking horns: A furious feud has broken out in the I’m A Celebrity jungle, just three days after it launched as Nella Rose took offence with Fred Sirieix over a remark
Mother’s death
Devastating: Ornella Rose Hollela’s mother Eseho Omolongo’ tragically died in her arms in 2016. Nella previously said it was the worst thing that has ever happened to her
Nella posted this image as part of a montage of her mother after her tragic death in 2016
Ornella Rose Hollela’s mother Eseho Omolongo tragically died in her arms in 2016 – but she has not yet disclosed exactly what happened.
Nella previously said it was the worst thing that has ever happened to her.
She told fans on YouTube about the devastating loss of her mother, explaining: ‘She died in my arms. It is the worst thing that has ever happened to me in my life.
Nella, of Congolese descent, arrived in the UK from Belgium at the age of seven with her mother and older brother Albert.
Set on losing her thick French accent, the I’m A Celebrity contestant would watch videos of Ant and Dec while growing up in north-west London to adopt a British accent.
Nella previously told her TikTok followers: ‘When you’re an immigrant, have been homeless, lost both parents, family have disowned you, constantly body shamed but God continues to bless you.’
Father’s death
Tragic: Nella’s father Kamango Paul Hollela tragically died four years after her mother
Daddy’s girl: Nella’s father died in 2020 – she posted this image of him along with a tribute
Tribute: ‘Rest in Peace Daddy, watching you suffer for the past month has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life but at least you’re not in pain anymore,’ Nella wrote
Nella’s father Kamango Paul Hollela tragically died four years after her mother.
After his death, she penned a poignant Instagram post to him saying: ‘Rest in Peace Daddy.
‘Watching you suffer for the past month has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life but at least you’re not in pain anymore.
‘Gonna make you the proudest dad ever in the years to come because I know you’re still by side every step of the way.’
Nella has not revealed her father’s cause of death.
Homelessness
Homeless: After her mum died unexpectedly in 2016, the council took back the family home from Nella and her brother, leaving Nella to live at her accommodation in Leicester University
After her mother died unexpectedly in 2016, the council took back the family home from the teenager and her brother, leaving Nella to live at her accommodation in Leicester University or with friends.
‘I was planning on using my student loan and my little YouTube money to pay the rent and bills.
‘But then my brother and I get a letter telling us we had 30 days to move out. So I’m in my second year of uni, I’m dealing with my mum’s death and now we’re homeless.
‘My uni room was my house or I was going on brand trips abroad in the holidays because I was running away from the fact I had nothing to call my own, nothing solid, I was escaping my problems.
‘You all thought I was living my best life, but in reality, I was homeless, living out of a suitcase and hopping from bed to bed.’
At 20, she rented her first flat in an affluent area of London and admitted it cost thousands to furnish.
But Nella added: ‘I didn’t want this to be my life. I wanted to come home to my mum and live with my family.
‘Instead, I come home to echoes and will be alone until I marry.’
Rise to fame
Congratulations! Nella has built up a healthy fortune and she bought her first house in the capital last week – a far cry from her poverty-stricken upbringing
Social media star: Nella started her YouTube channel in 2015 with hair tutorials and fashion tips and has grown into a much-loved content creator
Nella started her YouTube channel in 2015 with hair tutorials and fashion tips and has grown into a much-loved content creator, well renowned for her chatty beauty videos and witty sense of humour.
She sky-rocketed to success when she began posting YouTube videos with her friends discussing topics such as, ‘Growing up in African household’ and ‘Things girls do that boys don’t like’.
The influencer, thought to be the youngest celebrity on this series of the popular ITV2 show, has hosted MTV’s show Catfish among other high-profile hosting gigs.
Set to attract a younger audience, she will be a clear favourite as countless fans on TikTok are flooding I’m a Celebrity videos with cries of ‘Nella Rose for the win’.
Nella has amassed a several hundreds of thousands of pounds fortune and bought her first house in the capital last week – a far cry from her poverty-stricken upbringing.
The down-to-earth content creator is now regularly featured on Footasylum’s YouTube channel, often appearing next to famous faces such as Chunkz and Filly.
She also has her very own YouTube series with fast fashion brand PrettyLittleThing dubbed The Pink Courtroom.
Fred feud
Raging: A feud already appears to be brewing in the I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! jungle, as Nella was left visibly upset by Fred during Tuesday’s episode
Angry: The social media star admitted she felt ‘disrespected’ by the First Dates star after he joked that he could be ‘like her dad,’ hours after she shared that her father had passed away
On Tuesday’s show, Nella said she felt ‘disrespected’ by the First Dates star after he joked he could be ‘like her dad,’ hours after she candidly shared that her father had passed away.
While Nella attempted to avoid Fred following the exchange, she later explained that was irked by his comment, and suggested that they keep their distance in the camp moving forward.
In the Bush Telegraph Nella explained: ‘Last night after dinner Fred made a comment about him basically how he could be my dad.
‘I took offence to that because one of the first conversations we had together was me opening up about the fact that my dad’s passed away.’
She later confronted Fred: ‘You know that my mum’s dead, and you know that my dad’s dead. You know that, right?
‘I’ve come to find out that every time I wanna get creative around the fire, or I want to have something my way, my own food that I am entitled to, my way, you tend to get an attitude, right?
‘So yesterday, when I wanted to burn fat that you were going to throw away anyways, it’s not even something that we needed to survive in camp, you turned around to me, with an attitude and said, ”You know I could be your dad, right?” To me, I don’t care how you said it to me, it’s disrespectful and I don’t want to talk to you.
Irate: While Nella attempted to avoid Fred following the exchange, she later explained that was irked by his comment, and suggested that they keep their distance in the camp
‘I don’t want to be around you. I only allow people to disrespect me once. You hurt my feelings.
‘I was very upset… you keep trying to speak to me when I don’t want to speak to you. I would rather stay away from you, I don’t want to eat your food, I don’t want to talk to you. We can just live, you live on that side, I live on this side.’
Fred replied: ‘I am so sorry. Can I just say? First of all, I am sorry I’ve offended you. I am unaware that you felt offended. I am unaware that what I said would lead to this conversation, I only said that in a way because I am older than you, I am 51 and you’re 26.’
Nella said: ‘I’m not stupid, you’re not going to little girl me, you’re not.’
Fred said: ‘Nella, it wasn’t like that at all.’
Fred added: ‘Either I made a mistake and I said something and I offended you, I’m really sorry. I’m really sorry you feel like this.’
Nella said: ‘I accept your apology, but in order for us to live in this camp together, I don’t want to eat no food that you’re cooking, don’t talk to me, you stay over there, I stay over here and we can live. I’m good. Yeah. You stay over there. Look at your face, you’re smiling.’
Fred went on to ask: ‘You could have said straight away, “Excuse me Fred this is upsetting me.”‘
Nella said: ‘Can you not clock on the vibe?’
Fred replied: ‘No, because you’ve been sleeping quite a lot so I thought you were tired. If I made a faux pas, unwillingly, unconsciously, I am very sorry.
‘But this was all it was. That’s all it was. If you want to take it to the nth degree and not speak to me anymore, it’s your choice.’
Nella told Fred: ‘You only get one chance to disrespect me. I accept your apology but let’s not be friends. How about that?’
It remains to be seen whether Nella and Fred are able to patch things up in the coming days, or if this row could spill into the wider camp.
Viewer reaction
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! viewers have called on show bosses to intervene after Nella Rose’s ‘unacceptable’ behaviour in the jungle.
Several fans compared the row to the infamous Celebrity Big Brother ‘punchgate’ when Roxanne Pallett accused fellow housemate Ryan Thomas of ‘repeatedly and deliberately punching’ her when he had in fact lightly tapped her arm while playfighting.
Weighing in on Dadgate, shocked viewers shared: ‘Nella is so rude! Her behaviour towards Fred is unacceptable. The show’s producers need to speak to her.’; ‘The producers of “I’m a celebrity” should have summoned Nella to immediately explain her toxic and narcisstic behaviour, in the same way that Big Brother dealt with Roxanne Pallett. It was a golden opportunity to expose gaslighting. ITV has some explaining to do.’;
‘This is like Roxanne in big brother all over again!!!! Total bully! Producers need to make entitled nella to apologise’; ‘I feel so bad for Nella, but this is not it. I almost wish they didn’t air it and that the producers helped them fix it in private, because he really didn’t mean it like that. #ImACeleb’.
Outrage: Weighing in on Dadgate, shocked viewers hit out at the scenes and urged producers to pull up Nella on her behaviour
‘Nella is the Roxanne Pallett of the jungle’; ‘Sorry but Nella is giving Roxanne Pallett vibes. There, I said it. Is she quite alright?? #ImACele’; ‘Nella doing a full on Roxanne Pallet. She should be removed immediately, dangerous dangerous character. Poor Fred #ImACelebrity’; ‘Nella giving Roxanne Pallet on Big Bro #ImACeleb’
‘Fred is a very bless guy I dunno why Nella didn’t give him the benefit of the doubt especially after the sincere apology. Hopefully the producers get involved & squash it.’; ‘I haven’t a clue who Nella is but her behaviour is abhorrent. Producers need to tell her that was straight out bullying. Apologise ASAP. Fred didn’t do anything wrong yet he still apologise. Bless him.’;
‘No one deserves abuse but I do think the producers need to re-play the clip to Nella and explain Fred’s intentions, also allow Fred to, and to see why Nella reacted the way she did. Do feel sorry for Fred though’; ‘I’m kind of anxious about the treatment Nella will receive and she’s oblivious, this is one of those moments where I would like the producers to speak to her about the public’s opinions so she can mend fences or just be civil or apologize to Fred #ImACeleb’.
An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline that producers have not spoken to Nella or Fred about the argument.
