Inside I'm A Celeb star GK Barry's incredible upbringing in tropical paradise with pet goat

The eagerly anticipated return of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here is merely hours away and internet icon GK Barry, better known by her real name Grace Keeling, is set to take on the challenges of the Australian jungle with a slew of celebrities.

The beloved ITV reality show kicks off again tonight (November 17), boasting an exciting cast including WAG Coleen Rooney, singer Tulisa and TV favourites Oti Mabuse, Alan Halsall and Jane Moore.

Despite her apprehension about the great outdoors, Grace has revealed she's not fond of bugs or sleeping outside. In a conversation with the Mirror, she joked: "I hate bugs. I hate sleeping outside. I've never done it. And so I think that would be a lot. But I feel like it would also probably be good viewing for other people."

Yet the 25-year-old may have the upper hand in some jungle challenges, thanks to spending her early years in the tropical climes of the British Virgin Islands and enjoying family holidays in Trinidad and Tobago.

Grace, who was brought up by her mother Loretta and stepfather Andrew, relocated to the Virgin Islands when she was two, living moments from the beach, reports OK!.

During a 2022 episode of her Saving Grace podcast, Grace's parents divulged a variety of childhood anecdotes, highlighting the distinct nature of their daughters younger years. Loretta recounted an occasion while she was in the kitchen when she noticed something peculiar in the water. Upon alerting Andrew to investigate, he swam out and rescued a floundering goat, which they then took into their care.

The tale took a sorrowful twist when Grace's parents revealed that they had given their pet goat to a neighbour, but GK recalled the events differently.

Interrupting, she clarified: "This is where the story gets confused. You didn't give the goat to our neighbour, we woke up one morning and said 'Where's the goat? ' and you said 'Do you smell that? That's the goat, they made it into a goat curry."

Her parents candidly confessed that they had anticipated the neighbours would care for the pet. The family also recounted how their dog was saved from the sea by Andrew.

Later in the podcast episode, Andrew and Grace disclosed an encounter with wildlife they experienced while on holiday. The family often visited Trinidad and Tobago, and during one particular trip, Grace and Andrew were collecting coconuts when they found themselves being pursued by a snake.

Andrew shared with the podcast: "I was about to say [to Grace] 'You don't have to worry about them, as long as you're not in their territory' and then it [the snake] just took off after us."

Despite GK having spent many years away from tropical forests, her early experiences in the islands could prove beneficial for her upcoming jungle adventure.

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