'GIOVANNA IS DOING IT FOR ALL THE MUMS'

FORMER TOWIE STAR MARIOFALCONE SAYS HE LOVES SEEING HIS SISTER GIOVANNA FLETCHER PROVE HERSELF ONI’MACELEBRITY AND TELLS OK! WHY HER HUSBAND TOM IS THE BROTHER HE NEVER HAD

- ANNA MATHESON

After seven years on The Only Way Is Essex and a stint on Celebrity Big Brother, Mario Falcone can count himself as a reality TV veteran. Which means he was perfectly placed to give his big sister, Giovanna Fletcher, advice before she headed into the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! castle earlier this month.

Author and podcast host Giovanna is tipped to win this year’s I’m A Celeb and has already won over her campmates with her positivity. But the 35-year-old is no doubt missing her three sons – Buzz, six, Buddy, four, and Max, two – who she shares with her childhood sweetheart, McFly singer Tom Fletcher. But baby brother Mario has every faith in her, and just wants to protect his big sis. “I guess it’s the Italian in me,” he laughs when we catch up to lift the lid on the real Giovanna.

Here, Mario – who has two-year-old Parker with partner Becky Miesner – reveals all about partying with Giovanna, her secret signal to her boys back home and what he really thought the first time he met Tom…

You must be so excited to see Giovanna in the castle, Mario. What has been your favourite moment so far?

Just seeing her happy and having fun. People seem to be looking out for her and, as her brother, that’s all I can ask.

Have you always been protective?