Sinitta has returned to the I’m A Celebrity world for the South Africa series after a short stint on the show 15 years ago.
She joins stars including David Haye, Gemma Collins, and Adam Thomas as the spin-off returns on April 6 with Ant and Dec.
Since the 1980s, Sinitta has made her mark across music, acting, and reality television, and now she’s stepping back into the jungle for another shot at the show.
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How old is Sinitta?
Sinitta Renet Malone was born on October 19, 1963, in Seattle, Washington, making her 62 years old.
Her mother, Miquel Brown, was a Canadian disco-soul singer in the 70s and 80s and a cast member of the rock musical Hair. Her father, Anthony, was a Shakespearean theatre and film actor from New Zealand.
Raised in Seattle and later Detroit, Sinitta traveled extensively with her mother during tours. From the age of nine, she attended boarding school in East Sussex, UK, and ballet school in Tunbridge Wells.
Who is Sinitta?
Sinitta’s career spans acting, singing, and television. She began with acting roles, appearing in the 1981 film Shock Treatment as Frankie, and performing in West End productions including the original staging of Cats and Little Shop of Horrors.
In 1983, she appeared in the music video for Forrest’s version of Rock the Boat by The Hues Corporation.
Her music career took off in 1986 with the debut single So Macho, which reached No. 2 in the UK and remained on the charts for 30 weeks.
Sinitta has four UK top 10 singles and has spent over 100 weeks in the top 75, according to The Official Charts.
Are Sinitta and Simon Cowell still friends?
Sinitta and Simon Cowell first met in a London nightclub in the early 1980s when she was a teenager. They briefly dated in 1984 and maintained an on-and-off relationship for 20 years.
In 2002, Sinitta married Andy Willner and adopted two children, Magdalena, 19, and Zac, 18. The couple split in 2010.
Sinitta has said her marriage was a “revenge move” aimed at Simon Cowell: “The man that I married was actually a lovely person. It was a bit of a revenge move at the time, but it developed into something. But even during that relationship, it was obvious that there was unfinished business [with Simon].”
She also credited staying friends with Cowell’s partner, Lauren Silverman, for helping her find closure: “I was trying to make that relationship it,” she said on the Suddenly Single podcast, adding: “His narrative was just be patient, and you’ll have everything you want.”
“I assumed everything I wanted meant a normal family life with him. And then he met the love of his life and had a child. Silly me.”
Sinitta’s children
Sinitta’s children were adopted after she experienced several miscarriages.
She spoke to the Mirror about the ordeal: “Oh, it was hard to breathe. I wanted to curl up in a ball and shut the world out – so perhaps it’s only natural those thoughts come back to haunt you, later.”
“The day I adopted my kids I had a reason to live. It’s not the British way to talk about things. When people asked how I was, I’d say, ‘Oh, I’m fine.'”
“You’re too scared to say, well, as a matter of fact, I’ve just lost a child – in case people are horrified. Nowadays, it’s different because people are prepared to discuss mental health. They are more understanding that we don’t all live perfect lives.”
Where does she live?
Sinitta lives in London with her children. She owns two homes in southwest London, one of which she bought in 1998.
“I own two properties in southwest London, one of which I bought in 1998 for a few hundred thousand. Inside, my apartment was stunning, but the area wasn’t desirable. I remember Simon coming to visit and saying: ‘Oh my God, darling! What have you done?!'” she told The Times.
“Now the area has been cleaned up. It’s considered ‘high-end riverside living’, and that property is worth more than a million pounds. Now everybody’s, like, ‘Wow! Well done! Look what you did!'”
Sinitta continued: “When the flat next door became available I bought it and did a lateral conversion. It’s 5,000 sq ft, so goodness knows what they’re worth collectively. I use it as a home/work space because I have a production company, Attinis, so there’s a studio and editing suite, eight bedrooms and six bathrooms. There’s no garden, but I’ve put fake grass on the balcony for Scarlett, my toy poodle.”
Sinitta with leaves
In 2009, Sinitta made headlines for wearing a handful of strategically placed palm leaves during an appearance on The X Factor. She later referenced the outfit on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in 2016.
Speaking to The Sun in 2022, she said: “I think I’m quite conservative, quite ladylike, actually. I like to dress nicely, elegantly, probably sexually, but not in a provocative way.”
“I don’t want someone to be looking at my boobs or just thinking, ‘Oh, well she’s dressed like that, she obviously wants to hop into bed with me’. As the dates go on, if I start to dress more sexually, that’s how you know I’m into you. I’m wanting you to sort of think, ‘Ooh’. But I want to know you first.”
Sinitta on I’m A Celebrity
Sinitta first appeared on I’m A Celebrity in 2011 and was the second contestant voted off.
Speaking to the Mirror, she said the second time around was “much harder”: “I thought they’d go softer on us the second time, but absolutely not. If I’d known what I know now, I wouldn’t have gone! They really pushed us.”
She added: “If you’re a fan, you’re going to love it even more.”
What to expect in episode one
The first episode sees Ant and Dec helicoptering in to introduce the trials.
The cast is split into three groups, taking on challenges including wooden platforms over rocky terrain, slippery glass panels over water, and high bridges.
Mo Farah, Ashley Roberts, Adam Thomas, and Beverley Callard tackle the Tipped Over The Edge challenge. David Haye and Scarlett Moffatt take on Unlucky Lodges. Seann Walsh and Sinitta participate in Level Up, featuring high bridges and plenty of screams. Sinitta appears to breeze through it.
How latecomers Jimmy Bullard, Craig Charles, Gemma Collins, and Harry Redknapp enter camp has not yet been revealed.
I’m A Celebrity South Africa launches Monday, April 6 on ITV and ITVX
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