I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star Shona McGarty has opened up about a health issue that has affected her for many years. The 34-year-old revealed that before saying yes to the jungle, she went through a stage of turning down many opportunities due to suffering with anxiety.

"Anxiety for me has been there constantly and it's stopped me from doing so many things, so many opportunities as well," she revealed. "It can be controlled and then it comes back."

The former EastEnders star said she first realised something was wrong when she suddenly struggled to get through live interviews to discuss her role as Whitney Dean.

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Recalling a particularly challenging moment on This Morning, she continued: "I was young and I felt this real nervous energy because it was live and they're doing that thing that they do. They go, 'Five, four, three, two' and you go, 'Yep, act natural' You know?, which I hated.

"And I just went into like trauma mode and I just did this [stared with no emotion] and I just sat there and I looked really casual and arrogant."

Speaking to Joe Law on his Yellowbelly podcast, she added: "If you want to have a laugh, watch it. I'm literally petrified."

To help her get through live chats at the time, the actress recalled having to invite her co-star Ricky Norwood along for support.

"I just couldn't do it," she continued. "Ruth [Langsford] and Eamonn [Holmes] were talking at me and I couldn't even hear what they were saying. It was just like white noise.

"I thought, 'What's happening to me?' My hands were sweating. I just felt my heart going and I thought, 'This isn't me. What? I'm going to faint'."

She continued: "That was the first time and then it kept happening to me and then it would be in social situations and things like that.

"My hands would sweat and I'd have to like go, I'm just going to take a phone call just to get out. [It was] really overwhelming, really horrible."

After speaking out about her concerns and seeing her doctor, she discovered it was anxiety and has since sought help to manage it.

"It was horrible. It would keep me up at night and things like that. And now I'm so much better. I'm starting to say yes to everything," she added.

Ahead of entering the camp, Shona told The Mirror she was determined not to let her anxiety win as she prepared for life out of her comfort zone.

The actress signed up to the jungle after stepping away from EastEnders to pursue other work opportunities, such as recording music.

In scenes from camp, the actress hasn't shied away from showcasing her impressive vocals, much to the delight of viewers.

After recently belting out Tina Turner's Proud Mary in a clip that wasn't aired on the main show, one viewer wrote: "Get her and Aitch on a track!! What a voice."

A second commented: "She is an astounding singer!", while a third added: "Wow who knew, hope we see more of Shona."

Shona is the last female standing in the final with Tom Read Wilson and Angry Ginge. Tonight, one of the three will be crowned the new King or Queen of the jungle, following Danny Jones' win last year.

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! continues tonight at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.