Martin Roberts returns to Somerset after his outing to the jungle

Wow! What an experience that was! I’m still coming down from my incredible three weeks in the jungle as part of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!

I thought I knew what it was going to be like…I thought I’d prepared myself for the trials and tribulations…I thought I’d figured out the things they would throw at me; the people I’d meet and the effect the whole thing would have on me. Quack…quack oops!

NOTHING could have prepared me for my time in the Australian rainforest.

Lets start with a few ‘behind the scenes’ facts. There are 800 people working on ‘I’m a Celeb’. It’s the nearest things I’ll ever get to being in a Hollywood movie.

Each of the Bushtucker Trials is a year in the development; from design to build, to testing and health and safety (no really, don’t laugh).

There were half a million critters used over the four weeks of filming - from meal worms to iguanas - and I felt like I’d eaten a fair proportion of them.

Before you enter the jungle, in order to start the disorientation process, you’re locked in a hotel room, heavily guarded by security personnel and without phone, computer or contact with the outside world.

You’re bundled into the back of a blacked out pick-up truck with a blindfold and ear muffs on for good measure for your journey into jungle camp.

There is no ‘alternative’ luxury camp next door. No Dial-a-Pizza when the cameras are turned off (because the cameras are never turned off) and no inkling or clues as to what’s going on in the wider world for the entire time that you’re there.

It is, I can happily report, just as tough and challenging as it appears on TV. And I loved not quite every minute of it (thanks to Danny, Larry and a cockroach smoothie) but pretty much nearly every minute.

I conquered fears. I learnt about myself. I lost weight. I seem to have cured myself of asthma.

My journey was a bit rocky at times, but I think I got there in the end.

And so much of it was like a concentrated, intense, accelerated microcosm of life. From the struggles to be accepted into an existing group - just like when you start a new school or job - to the joyous feeling of being part of a closely knit and supportive group of people - be they friends or family.

When it came to the voting, can I just say, a huge ‘thank you’ to every single person who picked up the phone or clicked on the App to keep me part of this adventure for as long as I was.

Drifting back to reality has been interesting, but as spring approaches I feel privileged to have experienced what I have, and excited about all the incredible new adventures in the coming months in this beautiful county of ours.

I’ll leave you with my favourite ‘Scarlett-ism’…

We were discussing things we remembered only ever eating when we visited our grannys as children.

“Tinned fruit salad…with Evaporated milk,” I said.

“Evaporated milk?” Scarlett asked with a quizzical look on her face....

“How can you eat something that isn’t there......?”

You have to LOVE her logic.

For more information about Martin, his property training courses and his property and children’s books, visit his website. You can follow him on Twitter as well at @TVMartinRoberts.

Martin’s new weekly property radio show is on TalkRadio every Saturday morning- broadcast live from his treehouse in Somerset from 11am-1pm, repeated Sundays 5-7pm. Listen on DAB or online at TalkRadio.co.uk.