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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Saffron Otter

I'm A Celeb star Paul Burrell's hidden real voice rumbled after posh accent slips

Despite only being one episode in, I'm A Celebrity All Stars viewers have already seen a new side to Paul Burrell after his real voice slipped out in a moment of panic.

The former royal butler - who was called out for name-dropping Princess Diana and the late Queen just minutes into the new ITV series - once credited the Queen for 'teaching him how to speak'.

But it was while reliving a trial from his appearance in 2004 that his thick Derby accent slipped out.

Sticking his hand into a hole filled with crittere, Paul, in a less than posh accent, cried: "I don't know what it is - I've no idea what it is!"

"No, it's a stone!" he continued, when searching for the star, before returning to his familiarly posh accent, saying: "This is a world away from Windsor Castle."

Paul then slipped back to his Derby tones, screaming: "I've got it I've got it I've got it."

Paul claimed he was bitten by a snake in last night's episode (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

But when he later introduced himself to the other campmates, he was back to being a royal butler, announcing in 'Queen's English': "Hello I'm Paul, nice to meet you."

Paul, 64, began working for the Royal Household when he was just 18.

He was born and raised in the small coal-mining Derbyshire village of Grassmoor. His father was a lorry driver and it was assumed that little Paul would go on to work in the local colliery.

But after a school trip to London where he saw the Changing of the Guard, it became Paul's dream to work at Buckingham Palace.

Paul Burrell and Princess Diana in 1991 (ExpressStar)
Paul has returned to the show (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

He commenced his Royal Service as a footman, before becoming Queen Elizabeth II's personal footman after a year, and later went on to become Princess Diana's butler.

Ahead of the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee last June, Paul revealed how his childhood accent changed when he began working for the Royal Family.

Whilst reminiscing about his time with Her Majesty in an interview on ITV's Lorraine, the ex-footman spoke lovingly about his arrival at Buckingham Palace and that his 'surrogate mother' taught him how to speak 'properly'.

He said: "I was with her for 11 years and I was personally with her for 10 - I travelled the world with her.

"When I arrived at Buckingham Palace aged 18 in 1976 she became my surrogate mother, in a very strange way behind closed doors.

"I used to think, I wish my family could see this because she taught me.

"I had a broad Derbyshire accent and she used to teach me English and how to speak properly."

The Queen taught him how to speak, according to the former butler (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Before heading into the South African jungle, Paul said his second stint on the show would be 'different' because he is a 'different person' compared to his first run.

He explained: "I went into the jungle as Princess Diana’s former butler and I came out as Paul Burrell. From that point onwards, I realised I had to be me.

"I was a married guy with two kids, and now 19 years on, I am a married man again – but this time around, I have a husband.

"I have many more things to talk about in South Africa. This time I want to be there for all the dads who are struggling with their sexuality."

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