The Queen has arrived! Denise Drysdale entered the jungle on April 1 to the cries of “Ding Dong” across the country! While the nickname has grown to be a sign of affection, its origins are a little bit more… ummm… a sign of their time.

In 2020, Denise’s former colleague Lawrence Mooney (Triple M’s Moonman in the Morning) revealed the reason for her moniker after the news broke that she was in hospital following a fall filming Seven’s Holey Moley.

“I worked with Denise Drysdale for two years as a hapless sidekick in the kitchen between ’99 and 2000. Great couple of years,” he told co-host Jess Eva at the time.

“Ding Dong came from 1974 when she joined Ernie Sigley’s show as the barrel girl, and it is mooted – in fact, it’s widely known – that he named her breasts, Ding and Dong. Simpler times.” *Jaw on the floor!*

Mooney then claimed it was common knowledge, stating, “It’s like calling your sidekick ‘big t**ts’.'”

“‘Or big ‘hmm’, for men,” Jess responded as Mooney asked if she wanted to name his testicles…

Thus, a fifty-year moniker was born.

Denise “Ding Dong” Drysdale’s stories

Denise entered the jungle as the “oldest” campmate to ever join the series, much to the delight of the 11 other contestants.

Tristan MacManus — who previously worked with Denise on Studio 10 — was delighted, revealing that his former co-star had “a lot of great stories” to tell.

Without skipping a beat, Denise told everyone how Patti Newton had to join the army to perform for our troops during the Vietnam War and why she threw a brussel sprout at Ita Buttrose! LOVE HER.

Watch I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here from Sunday – Thursday at 7.30 pm on 10 and 10Play.

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