Take Me Dancing - AJ Pritchard - I'm A Celeb 2020

Frights Of The Round Table

Demi P.O.V

Descending the steps outside of the castle doors, I inhale the smoke that dissipates from the fire torches. I feel a warmth from the flames and a warmth from the boy's hands that are interlocked into mine - Jordan is on my left and AJ on my right.

"I'm nervous."

"You're always nervous." AJ picks on Jordan, slicing through the tension in the air. "It's gonna be okay. It's just eating and we're all hungry."

"I admire your enthusiasm, but I don't think it'll be steak and chips." I laugh.

We reach the trial clearing to find Ant and Dec stood beside a large dinner table. "Table for 3?"

"I want to cancel my reservation," I demand.

"Well, it's too late for that! Please all take a seat."

I sit in my designated chair and place my water bottle on the floor next to the appropriately placed sick-bucket; I might be reaching for that in a bit.

"Welcome to 'Frights of the Round Table'. Now as you may have guessed from the plates and the cutlery, this is an eating trial. There are ten stars to win as there are ten of you in camp. Throughout the trial, you will all eat at least 2 meals each. Whoever eats the remaining meals will be decided by chance."

Dec gives us the option to quit the trial, but it's fair to say that we're giving it a go. Nausea floods over me at the thought of eating cows tongue or sheep's testicles. This is the trial on TV that I can never watch.

"Let's give it a go." Jordan encourages.

A ranger appears from behind Ant and Dec with a huge wooden cloche in hand. He places it in front of AJ and lifts the lid off.

"This, is 'lamb rank'. You need to eat half of the sheep's brain."

The stench is horrific. The brain looks rotten, slimy, fleshy and as if it's been pulled fresh out of the animal in the last few minutes. "You have to be joking," AJ winces, pushing the brain around with his shaking fingers. "This much?"

"That's it." Ant approves. "Get it straight down and that's the first meal for camp."

AJ takes three deep breaths, shuts his eyes, and throws the brain to the back of his throat. He chews violently, clenching his teeth together and tapping the table.

"We're in Nando's and you're eating a nice chicken breast. We're sat having a drink, a cheeky cocktail, listening to music. Everything is fine." I tell him. "Just chew it and swallow. Swallow, swallow, swallow."

AJ takes a large gulp and presents his empty mouth to Ant and Dec. "That's one meal for camp!"

"Get in!" Jordan cheers. "How was it?"

"Revolting," AJ chugs down on his water bottle. "It was chewy, and slimy, and ughh."

We move onto the second dish - my dish.

"I feel sick already," I muster as the ranger places a cloche in front of me. I don't want to think about what could be under that wooden lid - it could be dead or alive.

"This . . . is 'cheesy vomlette' - vomit fruit."

I violently gag.

"Woah," Ant exclaims. "You haven't even eaten it yet!"

"It's the smell." All I can picture is Jordan being sick at the top of that cliff the other day. "This restaurants hygiene rating must be awful."

I poke around at the yellow fruit with the tips of my fingers. It's soft and squidgy with a hard inner core. "It's just a fruit. Like a fruit smoothie. One of your five a day." AJ says. "Don't even think about it. Just pick it up, close your eyes, and-,"

I chuck the fruit in my mouth before AJ can finish his sentence. I try and keep it at the back of my tongue away from my taste buds, but it melts in my mouth and makes it feel like I'm swallowing my own sick. "Chew chew chew chew chew." Jordan cheers. "Just one big swallow. Get it down you."

I wretch. "It's awful," I muster with a mouthful. One powerful swallow gets it down into my stomach and my appetite vanishes. I show the boys my empty mouth and glug down on my water bottle.

"I'm never going to get a date again."

"Well done Demi. You just won a second meal for camp! So Jordan; you're next."

The ranger lifts the lid off of the cloche. On Jordan's plate is a large stake pie, decorated in the one item that I would outright refuse to attempt. "This is 'steak and eye pie'. You have to eat the goat's eye on the top of the pie."

Jordan doesn't hesitate. He grabs the eye off the top with full force and throws it into his gob. His mouth rattles it around, chewing down hard until we hear a pop. Black gunk drips out the side of Jordan's lips and his eyes water. "You're doing so well," AJ encourages. I turn my head away as I hear Jordan gag - if I watch, I'll bring up the vomit fruit that I just stomached.

"He's done it! That's three meals for camp."

Victoria P.O.V

We wait around in camp for AJ, Jordan and Demi to return. I know how much Demi dreads the thought of an eating trial, so this will no doubt be her biggest challenge so far.

Mo, Shane and I lay on adjacent beds and chit chat amongst ourselves. "You think Jordan will do this one?"

"I don't know," Shane shrugs. "He did the abseil and the one last night, but I've never seen anyone that scared. I don't think AJ will have any problems with it. Don't know about Demi though."

"She hates the thought of an eating trial." I confirm. "I reckon she'll try them all, but I don't know if she'll keep the dishes down."

"At least we know AJ could get us a few. He's not the type to give up."

". . . Quick question. Is AJ single?"

"WOAH Victoria! Bit of a cougar are we, wahay!" Shane teases. "You're a married woman!"

"I'm not asking for me! I was just wondering."

"I've never asked him personally."

"I think I saw in the papers that he had a girlfriend, but think they split a month before he came on this show. Don't quote me on that."

". . . Interesting," I reply, recalling the conversation I had with Bev and Demi earlier. "I'll have to find out myself."

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I'm trying to keep each chapter to 1000 words but do want them to be any longer or shorter? Let me know xx

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