I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! star Tulisa Contostavlos opened up about the horrific drug sting she was involved in back in 2013 – narrowly missing jail time.
The N-Dubz singer was arrested on June 4, 2013, on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs and was later bailed to a date in July of the same year.
She was later charged on December 9 with “being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs,” and later appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court where she denied being involved.
The trial – which was set for July 14, 2014 – was dismissed after it emerged that journalist Mazher Mahmood, who was known as the “fake sheikh” had lied to the court.
Last night, Contostavlos opened up about the ordeal and confided in Oti Mabuse about the impact the trial and allegations had on her and her career.
She said: “2013 was the year I was set up by a British newspaper, for concern in the selling of class A drugs.
“The guy’s name was Mahmood and basically, I was approached by a big movie company and they sent me a tweet or a DM from their official account to audition me for a movie role.
“I’d dabbled in acting, so this opportunity for me was huge.” She revealed that she had been offered £3.5million for the role and had meetings in Las Vegas with the producers, having been flown out first class.”
Mabuse questioned whether the movie and opportunity were real, leaving Contostavlos to admit: “Oh no, I found out it was a lie.
“So I was told, as I wasn’t an actress, I was less likely to get the role and the only reason I would get it is if I was the girl in the role.
“And the girl in the role was this bad girl from London who was constantly up to naughtiness, rolling with gangs, up to all kinds of naughty stuff.”
She went on to claim that the meetings for the opportunity had gone “on for months” and they had her “dangling on the end of a string”.
The 36-year-old added that those working on the so-called film had said they needed to get their hands on illegal drugs.
She said: “After months and months, eventually they got a number and it was of someone that wasn’t even a drug dealer. It was an aspiring movie producer and I wanted to make a hook-up as well for that person, but I didn’t know anyone that could do that.”
She claimed the group had ordered £800 worth of cocaine from the phone number she had come across and was soon being arrested on the concern of selling Class A drugs.
The singer was facing four years in prison and lost all endorsements, noting: “My life fell apart.”
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It later came out in the trial that she had been secretly recorded during a conversation with one of the drivers associated with Mahmood, as she revealed how anti-drugs she was.
The driver was due to give evidence but was later forced to change his statement, meaning Contostavlos instantly thought she would be dealt a custodial sentence.
Mahmood later went on trial and denied all allegations but was later given 15 months for perverting the course of justice.