Beverley Callard has cleared up rumours she became vegan ahead of appearing on I’m A Celebrity, as she left the show in a double elimination. 

The Coronation Street star was voted out of the castle alongside BBC journalist Victoria Derbyshire during Monday’s episode of the ITV reality show. 

During their interview with hosts Ant and Dec, Beverley addressed suggestions from her former Corrie co-star Simon Gregson that she’d turned vegan prior to entering the castle in order to get out of eating various nasties in the Bushtucker Trials. 

Simon, who plays Beverley’s on-screen son Steve McDonald on the soap, had previously quipped in an interview that he would brand himself a “mango” if Beverley hadn’t just changed her diet to suit the show.

Addressing his claims, she said: “I started in March because I had an operation and I saw this documentary that said your joints heal quicker if you’re plant based so that’s what I’ve been doing since March.”

Beverley also said she and Victoria were “sad but also happy” to leave, ahead of the final on Friday. 

Speaking of her experience, she said: “Absolutely mind blowingly wonderful. We’re sad to go but also happy to go.

“I don’t know, honestly I truly don’t know [how I coped]. I truly feel as though I’ve got no survival skills whatsoever. You just do it though, don’t you?”

Victoria added: “It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s been – marrying Mark, having my two boys and this – it’s been up there. Seriously, it was incredible.

“There were some elements that were hard. But I feel like I’ve squeezed the life out of every moment in there. The people were just incredible. We laughed, we cried, we shared a lot of stuff.”

Eight stars now remain in the castle, following the previous eliminations of Hollie Arnold and Ruthie Henshall. 

I’m A Celebrity continues on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV.