Fred Sirieix has showcased his resilience in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity camp this year, but before his rise to fame, the First Dates star proved his strength by leaving his family home at a very young age.
The maître d’hôtel made the move away from his native France as a teenager, saying goodbye to his devastated parents to pursue his dreams.
Fred was studying to become a chef at the time, but eventually realised he wanted to work with people in the restaurant industry, rather than being stuck in the kitchen.
Reflecting on his courageous decision to move to the UK, the star told James O’Brien on the Full Disclosure podcast that his mum is “still crying” over their 1992 farewell.
Speaking to James just a few months before his I’m A Celeb debut, Fred recalled: “I was studious, and I was studying my recipes, and I could cook.
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“But you’re basically in four walls, like this, in the kitchen – it’s not free, it’s hot, there’s grease – and I thought to myself, I want to be with people.”
Explaining his change in career choice, Fred added: “So, for me, it was the case of, I can’t do that – that’s not what I want to do.
“When I told my parents, they were like, ‘oh my God!’ My mum especially, she couldn’t believe it.”
Podcast host James then quizzed Fred on why he wanted to move to the UK.
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“I think I wanted to live my life in English,” the Channel 4 star admitted, sharing his love for British music and pop culture as a teenager.
Fred shared “When I arrived here in 1992, being French, you’re like an exotic creature – people want to talk to you because you’re French, and you work in a restaurant, and you’ve got a funny story to tell.”
When the I’m A Celebrity star admitted he bought a one-way ticket to England, James exclaimed: “What did your mum and dad say about this?”
“My mum, she’s still crying.
“But now, obviously, they’re happy,” Fred replied, as he shared how proud his parents are of his success in the UK.
While he’s away in camp, Fred’s fiancée Fruitcake has also been supporting him through every jungle ordeal, and she has now jetted off to Australia to cheer him on.
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