Jill Scott has been declared many people's winner of I'm A Celebrity 2002, with them hailing her an 'amazing role model' as she delivered a really powerful and moving speech during Monday night's show.
Jill recently retired from international football, after helping England to win the Euros in the summer and is now hotly tipped to add a jungle victory to her CV, although odds on Owen Warner winning are shortening all the time. Sunderland born player Jill has been impressive from the jungle from the get-go; steering clear of rows and controversy in camp and getting stuck in with chores and Bushtucker Trials.
And Jill further enamoured herself to I'm A Celebrity viewers at home during a chat about coming out and how her sexuality was received by the footballing community. As she and Boy George both spoke about being gay during a candid chat, former Manchester City star Jill said: "I think when you get to the point where it’s like not a question… in my head it’s just simple, you find someone, you fall in love with them, if it’s a woman, a man, but I don’t think it defines you at all.”
READ MORE: Scarlette Douglas claims I'm A Celebrity stars want to get voted out
Jill was asked by co-star Seann Walsh is women were more 'open' about their sexuality, given the lack of openly gay male players in the Premier League, to which she replied: "I think in the men’s game, it’s so difficult. If you think about how much stick they get from the chants… it’s just not a safe environment where they feel safe enough to kind of do that. And that’s so sad. But yeah in women’s football it’s just never an issue. Some have partners that are female, some are married to men, yeah…”
Jill added: “Then obviously there was no female role models for me to look up to… But I’d watch Beckham do a trick or Gerrard do something and I’d just be practising for hours. I was literally in the back lanes just with my ball all day all night until my mum would shout, ‘Jill it’s time for your tea’ and then I’d be back out again because I wanted to perfect this skill.”
And with a huge smile on her face, Jill then ended: "And now I’ll put on my own soccer camps and the girls have the female players on the back of their shirt.”
Jill's words struck a real chord with many people watching at home, with one massive fan tweeting: "Jill Scott is such a good role model and an iconic champion! Hope she wins but really we’re the winners for having someone as amazing as her in there," with a second reacting: "The positive thing about Jill not having a role model is that she will now fill that void for so many young people and she's so modest she won't realise that."
Before Monday's episode, Jill had just been edged out by Owen as favourite to win but, things remain very close as Jill is still 13/8 to triumph.
READ NEXT:
