By 2008, the show had its formula down. Joe Swash won that year. He was the cheeky EastEnders lad who turned every trial into a laddish joke. You couldn’t help but laugh along, even when he was covered in kangaroo testicles.
Then came the Queen of the Jungle herself, Gino D’Acampo, in 2009. He treated the camp like his own Italian kitchen. He cooked, he flirted with Ant and Dec, and he won by sheer force of personality—and eyebrow action.
2010’s winner Stacey Solomon was a revelation. She was a mouthy, working-class lass from X Factor who just said what everyone was thinking. She also made a dress out of bin bags. Iconic? Yes. Unforgettable? Absolutely.
