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Former BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin strolled into the I'm A Celeb castle on Sunday night, beating Danny Miller in the first trial of the series.

She made her final appearance on the famous BBC red sofa on September 15 after 20 years on the show and was given an emotional farewell by her co-star Dan Walker, who organised several surprises for her to mark their last day working together.

But now viewers will get to see a whole new side of her as she takes on castle life and the inevitable Bushtucker Trials that await.

She will be without her beloved husband for potentially three weeks, as her fate is now in the hands of the voting public.

So as Louise welcomes the new challenge, Daily Star has taken a look into her life off camera as she prepares to knuckle down in the freezing castle.

Stalking and online threats

Carl Davies, 44, pleaded guilty to stalking by sending intimidating comments on Instagram in October, ahead of a trial that was due to take place at Caernarfon Crown Court.

He was accused of causing serious alarm or distress to them in posts on their Instagram accounts and had initially entered two not guilty pleas.

But he changed his plea before the trial and admitted to causing Louise and her daughter Mia distress in July 2020.

He was ordered not to refer to either of them on any social media site, and will be sentenced on December 15.

Davies was also ordered not to encourage other third parties to refer to them on social media, have any direct or indirect contact with them or approach any BBC-owned or run areas.

He was also told not to enter the Cheshire village where Louise lives.

Career and family life

Born Louise Mary Grayson in 1968 in British Hong Kong, she went on to earn a degree in Spanish from the University of St Andrews.

She later studied journalism at the London College of Communication and began to build her career.

Married to restaurateur husband, David Minchin, they tied the knot in 1998 and the pair live in Chester with their two daughters Mia and Scarlett.

The family have a Labrador called Waffle and two miniature Shetland ponies, Hollie and Muffin.

Louise first joined the BBC as a freelance presenter and journalist in 2001 and has risen to become one of the main presenters of the daily news programme BBC Breakfast.

Menopause awareness

Back in 2019, Louise earned praise as she spoke out on her menopause experiences to raise awareness.

She revealed how she had suffered hot flushes on the BBC Breakfast set that led to bosses lowering the temperature.

"I started the menopause at 45-46 and talking about it happened because at work, sitting on a sofa under hot lights for three and quarter hours, as a peri-menopausal woman has different challenges," she recalled.

"It was mostly about keeping the studio ice cold."

To her joy, the BBC then decided to do a week-long feature called Menopause Awareness Week.

Broken bones

Two years ago, Louise sustained a horrific foot injury while training for the Norseman marathon.

It even resulted in her taking a break from BBC Breakfast – and fans certainly missed her.

She explained she sustained the injury when she was training for the "epic extreme triathlon" in the summer of 2019.

However, despite the injury, the star continued her training and completed the triathlon before eventually seeking medical help.

Louise was forced to take some time off work for her operation and only returned to her presenting role in February last year.

Fashion and style

Fans love her look and she has revealed how much she spends on outfits every month.

But Louise then confirmed some sad news – the BBC don't give her money to go out and look the part for the show!

In an interview with The Express she was asked how much she spent on her wardrobe each month.

She said: "Probably about £250, maybe more. I don’t have a stylist and the BBC doesn’t provide a budget for clothes, so I buy all my own.

"Of course, I have to wear everything way more than once."

Sport star

She may have paid the price after breaking bones, but Louise is simply sensational at sport.

Did you know she is an amateur triathlete, and was also qualified as a member of the 2015 Great Britain Age-Group Triathlon Team?

She released a book, Dare to Tri, a candid memoir that focuses on returning to competitive sport after nearly 30 years.

She competed in the standard distance event – a 1500m swim, 40km bike ride and a 10km run at the World Triathlon Championships in Chicago six years ago.

She isn't planning to call it quits, even after the operation.

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• BBC
• BBC Breakfast
• Louise Minchin
• I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here

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