Digital Spy interviews Ashley after the jungle

How do you feel, Ashley?
"I feel great. What a crazy journey this has been! I've really surprised myself and I've learned so many things. When my family gets to watch this show in America they are not going to believe it is me."

How does it feel to have survived three weeks in a jungle?
"I couldn't be happier. It was tough and there have been times when I thought I was going out of my mind, as well as other times that were so amazing. It's been such a rollercoaster ride, but I'm really proud of myself. Somehow I got through it mentally and physically."

Did you ever feel close to quitting?
"Well, you go through so much with all the hunger in the jungle. I definitely had a few moments where I thought, 'Oh man, I don't know if I can do this.' But I got through it all. It feels really cool to be on the other side now."

How did it feel to come second?
"I love Charlie Brooks. Charlie is my girl! In my eyes, we were both jungle queens - but Charlie is a very deserved winner. She's also an amazing mother. I love her to bits."

What have you gained from doing the show?
"Coming from part of such a big pop group, I don't think people got to know us as individuals. It's nice that people can finally meet the real me. Although this is a pretty bizarre circumstance, I'm excited that people will get to know me as Ashley Roberts and not just a Pussycat Doll. It's pretty crazy that people have been picking up the phone and voting for me, but I'm very grateful for everything."

How does it feel to be the runner-up?
"I know this is going to sound cheesy, but I have so much gratitude. I'm a Celebrity has been an amazing ride and I'm walking out of here with some amazing friendships. It's been awesome. I couldn't have asked for anything more."

What were your jungle highlights?
"I really enjoyed the 'meddling' challenge where I pretended I'd spotted a monster in the middle of the night. I gave a pretty great performance at scaring the cr*p out of Hugo, but I felt really bad about that. I had to talk to him for 90 minutes to calm him down, which was funny because I was the person who was supposed to be scared."

How did Hugo react when he discovered the monster wasn't real?
"When Hugo found out the monster wasn't real, it was amazing. I think he felt like an idiot, but the look on his face was pretty priceless!"

What was the toughest aspect of living in the jungle?
"Living with bugs was not awesome. The bugs are so dangerous. There are leeches, there are ants that bite you, there are crazy dangerous spiders and there are ticks."

Didn't Eric Bristow get a tick on his neck?
"He did, and it was so disgusting. It made me so nervous. I was thinking, 'How the heck did it get on his neck?'"

Were you worried about the jungle shower when you signed up for the show?
"I was definitely a little concerned when they said I'd be showering outside in a bikini. I said, 'What? Who wants to see me shave my legs?' That's not attractive."

But you did shower…
"Oh, sure. You've gotta be clean in the jungle. I'm not going to be a dirty jungle lady!"

What's next for you, Ashley?
"Life is short and nobody knows what's around the corner, but I'm up for lots of new challenges."

Was the jungle tougher than you thought it would be?
"I'm a Celebrity was so much harder than I originally thought. Until you are in the jungle, you don't really know what you're in for. It's tough."

What surprised you the most about the jungle?
"The rats in the Bed Bugs challenge were very surprising. They were the most sexually active animals I've ever met! They were all at it. They were all over each other; even the male guys. They can definitely take care of themselves. I had rat porn in my bed."

How did you handle the bushtucker trials?
"Oh my gosh! They were so terrible. My first trial sticks out to me because my heart was beating out of my chest. I faced a lot of my fears, so I'm really proud of myself."

What about the eating trial at the end of the series?
"That was the worst trial ever. It was so gross! To be honest, I can't believe I ate all of those nasty things. I'll never get over that."