I’M A Celebrity star Naughty Boy has revealed the the heart-wrenching reason why cooking connects him with his beloved mum.
Naughty Boy has said he is struggling in the castle camp as it’s the longest he has been away from dementia-stricken mum Zahida, who he looks after.
He said before entering the jungle: “Cooking for the family was a big part of her life, it was her whole life.
“Even when I moved out she used to cook for me and send me food parcels and all that.
“And now she can’t do it any more. So I moved in with her, as a primary carer, and I decided to teach myself so I could make those same meals for her. It’s become a coping mechanism for me. I cook for her every day.
“I’ll take it to her and say: ‘Is it like how you used to make it?’
“When she says ‘Yes’, that’s heartwrenching.”
He hopes for these glimpses of her former self, adding: “As long as I get a few glimpses a day of who Mum really is, that reminds me that she’s still there”
He added to the Mirror: “She also told me as a small boy I used to stand in the corner of the kitchen watching her for hours and that I cook with my hands and the heart is just like she did.
“Since the dementia particularly, all she wants to watch is cooking shows.”
The music producer, real name Shahid Khan, has threatened to quit I’m A Celeb after struggling through trials and missing his mum.
I’m A Celebrity bosses are now fearing a star exodus following Richard Madeley’s dramatic departure.
The telly presenter, 65, was rushed to hospital after falling ill early yesterday.
He left the Covid bubble so cannot return to Gwrych Castle, North Wales.
Crew are worried about Dame Arlene Phillips, 78, who is on painkillers. And DJ Naughty Boy, 36, has sought counselling over his mum’s health.
A source said: “They can’t afford to lose any more big names.”
