"Great talker": Kerry McFadden with daughter Lily Sue

Born in Warrington, Cheshire, the 23-year-old, formerly known as Kerry Katona, tried her hand at glamour modelling before finding success as one-third of the pop group in 1999.

That success was driven by a difficult childhood, which saw her live with four sets of foster parents and attend eight different schools.

She was taken into care at the age of 13 after her mother fled to a women's refuge because of an abusive relationship. She has never met her real dad.

"It was a hard childhood but that made me even more determined to succeed," she has said.

She started a relationship with Westlife singer Bryan McFadden, and left Atomic Kitten in February 2001 to give birth to their daughter, Molly, six months later.

At the time, Atomic Kitten believed they were about to be dropped by their label - but without her, the group gained a new member and went on to have their biggest hit, Whole Again.

McFadden [centre] was part of Atomic Kitten's original line-up

Katona and McFadden married in January 2002 in County Meath, Ireland, and now live in Dublin.

Forgiveness

Marriage to a member of Westlife put McFadden right at the heart of Ireland's celebrity circle - and she has publicised children's charities in her adoptive home city.

Her decision to appear on I'm a Celebrity was partly driven by her wish to raise money for a children's hospital in Dublin.

She is also an ambassador for the Prince's Trust.

But the fairytale marriage looked doomed after revelations about Brian's encounter with a lapdancer on his stag night surfaced.

The incident was revealed to Kerry in a Sunday newspaper six months afterwards, while her husband was on tour.

But she eventually forgave him and the couple's second daughter, Lily Sue, was born in February 2003.

McFadden has started a TV career since her marriage, with mixed results. An ITV1 dating show, Elimidate, was pulled from the screens after six outings - one critic claiming it was full of "spite, coarseness and stupidity".

She married Westlife's Bryan McFadden in 2001

She has also appeared as a panellist on ITV1's daytime talk show Loose Women, while an appearance on Channel 4's reality show The Salon led to controversy after she said she had never really sung on any of the group's singles.

"It was a joke," she insisted later. "I can't believe the fuss this has caused. As a joke I always say I can't sing, but I'm a great talker."

Although she looked ready to quit jungle life after just a few days, her decision to stick it out among the creepy crawlies ensures her showbiz career can run and run.