How I'm A Celebrity South Africa star Sinitta's marriage was a 'revenge move' aimed at Simon Cowell and her heartbreaking miscarriages
She's returned 15 years following her first appearanceSinitta has returned to the I’m A Celebrity world for the South Africa series after enjoying a short stint 15 years ago.
She’s joined the likes of David Haye, Gemma Collins and Adam Thomas for the spin-off show, and is currently living it up in Main Camp.
Since the 1980s, Sinitta has been gracing the world of entertainment. Whether it’s music, acting or reality TV, she’s done it all.
Here, we take a deep dive into the life of I’m A Celebrity South Africa star Sinitta, including her age, her most famous song and her friendship with Simon Cowell.
How old is Sinitta?
Born on October 19, 1963, in Seattle, Washington, Sinitta, full name Sinitta Renet Malone, is currently 62 years old.
Her mother, Miquel Brown, was a Canadian disco-soul singer in the 70s and 80s. She was also a cast member of the rock musical Hair.
Sinitta’s father, Anthony, was a Shakespearean theatre and film actor from New Zealand.
Growing up, Sinitta was well-travelled. She was raised in Seattle and later Detroit. However, she would travel with her mum on tour.
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From the age of nine, Sinitta went to boarding school in the UK in East Sussex and ballet school in Tunbridge Wells.
Who is Sinitta?
Sinitta is a singer, actress and television personality. She first joined the entertainment world with acting roles.
In 1981, she appeared in the film Shock Treatment as Frankie. She then went on to perform in several West End productions, including the original staging of Cats, and later appeared in Little Shop of Horrors.
In 1983, she also featured in the music video for Forrest’s version of Rock the Boat by The Hues Corporation.
By 1986, Sinitta debuted as a recording artist. Her debut single, So Macho, peaked at No. 2 in the UK and remained on the charts for 30 weeks, becoming her biggest hit.
To date, Sinitta has achieved four top 10 singles and spent over 100 weeks in the top 75, according to The Official Charts.
Are Sinitta and Simon Cowell still friends?
Sinitta and Simon Cowell first met in the early 1980s and have remained good friends. They met in a London nightclub when Sinitta was a teenager.
In 1984, they briefly dated and had an on-and-off relationship for the next 20 years.
In 2002, Sinitta wed Andy Willner, and they adopted two children — Magdalena, 19, and Zac, 18. The pair split in 2010. Sinitta has since claimed that her failed marriage to Andy was a “revenge move,” suggesting it was aimed at Simon Cowell.
“The man that I married was actually a lovely person. It was a bit of a revenge move at the time, but it developed into something. But even during that relationship, it was obvious that there was unfinished business [with Simon],” she said.
However, Sinitta admitted that staying friends with Britain’s Got Talent judge’s partner, Lauren Silverman, helped her find the closure she needed.
“I was trying to make that relationship it,” she said on the Suddenly Single podcast, adding: “His narrative was just be patient, and you’ll have everything you want.”
“I assumed everything I wanted meant a normal family life with him. And then he met the love of his life and had a child. Silly me.”
Sinitta’s children
Sinitta’s two children, Magdalena and Zac, were adopted following a series of heartbreaking miscarriages.
In an interview with the Mirror, Sinitta opened up about the upsetting ordeal and said it was one of the most difficult moments in her life.
“Oh, it was hard to breathe. I wanted to curl up in a ball and shut the world out – so perhaps it’s only natural those thoughts come back to haunt you, later,” she said.
“The day I adopted my kids I had a reason to live. It’s not the British way to talk about things. When people asked how I was, I’d say, ‘Oh, I’m fine.'”
She continued: “You’re too scared to say, well, as a matter of fact, I’ve just lost a child – in case people are horrified. Nowadays, it’s different because people are prepared to discuss mental health. They are more understanding that we don’t all live perfect lives.”
Where does she live?
While speaking with The Telegraph earlier this month, Sinitta revealed she lives in London with her two children.
In 2021, she explained that she has two London homes.
“I own two properties in southwest London, one of which I bought in 1998 for a few hundred thousand. Inside, my apartment was stunning, but the area wasn’t desirable. I remember Simon coming to visit and saying: ‘Oh my God, darling! What have you done?!'” she told The Times.
“Now the area has been cleaned up. It’s considered ‘high-end riverside living’, and that property is worth more than a million pounds. Now everybody’s, like, ‘Wow! Well done! Look what you did!”
She continued: “When the flat next door became available I bought it and did a lateral conversion. It’s 5,000 sq ft, so goodness knows what they’re worth collectively. I use it as a home/work space because I have a production company, Attinis, so there’s a studio and editing suite, eight bedrooms and six bathrooms. There’s no garden, but I’ve put fake grass on the balcony for Scarlett, my toy poodle.”
Sinitta with leaves
In 2009, Sinita made front-page news after she wore a handful of strategically placed palm leaves covering her modesty during an appearance on The X Factor in 2009.
The daring outfit has since been referenced several times. Sinitta even brought the costume back for a comedy sketch on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in 2016 titled Who Shot Simon Cowell?
While discussing her fashion sense, Sinitta told The Sun in 2022: “I think I’m quite conservative, quite ladylike, actually. I like to dress nicely, elegantly, probably sexually, but not in a provocative way.”
“I don’t want someone to be looking at my boobs or just thinking, ‘Oh, well she’s dressed like that, she obviously wants to hop into bed with me’. As the dates go on, if I start to dress more sexually, that’s how you know I’m into you. I’m wanting you to sort of think, ‘Ooh’. But I want to know you first.”
Sinitta on I’m A Celebrity
Sinitta first appeared on I’m A Celebrity in 2011 and was the second star to be voted off.
15 years later, the Toy Boy hitmaker is giving the show another shot for the South Africa series.
While speaking to the Mirror, Sinitta said the experience was “much harder” the second time around.
“I thought they’d go softer on us the second time, but absolutely not. If I’d known what I know now, I wouldn’t have gone! They really pushed us,” she revealed.
She also expressed viewers are in for a treat: “If you’re a fan, you’re going to love it even more.”
What to expect from Sinitta on I’m A Celebrity South Africa
She’s currently busy on a Bushtucker Trial, going head-to-head – literally – with Seann Walsh and a LOT of snakes. Find out if she wins food for Main Camp tonight (April 9).
Other than that, she hasn’t disappointed so far, spilling all the tea on her relationship with Brad Pitt, telling her campmates that if she closes her eyes she’s back there with the Hollywood hunk!
However, so far, she hasn’t strutted out of the bushes wearing nothing but leaves. But there’s still time, eh Sinitta!
