Shirley Ballas on 'diva' behaviour in Celebrity Bear Hunt

Shirley Ballas has lifted the lid on her row with fellow Celebrity Bear Hunt contestant, Mel B, in an exclusive interview with What to Watch.

The Strictly Come Dancing judge was one of 12 famous faces to head into the Costa Rican jungle for the eight-part Netflix show, hosted by Holly Willoughby.

They learned survival skills and completed tasks, before at the end of each episode a handful of them were sent to the Bear Pit, where they were hunted down by master adventurer Bear Grylls, after which one of them was eliminated.

Netflix spared no expense in putting the show's line-up together, with stars such as Big Zuu, Boris Becker and Steph McGovern all appearing.

However tensions arose in the third episode when Shirley took exception to Mel B's habit of making provocative comments to other campmates, before explaining she was "only joking".

"I can let somebody be a diva for so long, until I feel somebody else is being picked on," she told us. "I've dealt with divas in my industry all my life. There's nothing in any part of anything that could shock me.

She added: "But when you're in a situation where you have to live together and you can't go home to your own house, all you ask is that people respect one another.

"If somebody's pushing someone's buttons and trying to get reactions out of people, I don't like that. I think it's totally unnecessary, but I know it makes great TV!"

However, things really boiled over in the fourth episode, when Shirley's team beat Mel's team in a challenge called Walk The Plank, during which contestants had to cross some critter-infested water.

The Spice Girl wasn't happy about it and let Shirley know when they all returned to camp later that day.

"If you watch the show you'll never find me whining," explains Shirley. "No matter what I was feeling, I kept it inside and I got on with the job that I signed up for. I think if you sign up for it, shut up and get on with it. Unfortunately, not everybody felt the same way!"

Yet despite one or two spats, Shirley says she had a great time on the show, enjoyed challenging herself in a way she never had before and made some great friends.

"My mum was shocked when she heard I was going into the jungle and said she wouldn’t speak to me if I did it," she told us. "But then I thought of how people put themselves out of their comfort zones when they come on Strictly. I don’t want to be someone who doesn’t want to try things, I want to keep challenging myself.

"I got in brilliantly with Boris Becker, we became mum and dad of the camp. I knew Steph McGovern a little bit from doing Steph’s Packed Lunch and she was lovely, while Big Zuu did all the cooking. I thought most of the people there were great, I took Lottie under my wing, Kola was lovely and Danny Cipriani was a real gentleman."

Although she admits she won't miss going into the Bear Pit, the terrifying endgame many of the celebrities faced!

"That was the worst," she explains. "When it’s getting dark and you’re lost and you’ve got this survival expert chasing you, it’s more than terrifying. In fact, talking about it makes me anxious. When you see where that man can hide and what he does, it will blow your mind!"

Celebrity Bear Hunt is available to watch on Netflix now