For millions of viewers, Tom Read Wilson is the charming late arrival on I’m A Celebrity — a man with a velvet accent, encyclopaedic vocabulary, and an elegance that somehow feels from another era.
But to Charlie Collins, who has known him since she was four years old, Tom is something far more precious:
“the boy who grew into everyone’s safe place.”
On Thursday, as the nation debated whether Tom’s polished speech was “real” or “put on,” Charlie decided to share the version of Tom she has loved for 34 years — a version the cameras have only begun to capture.
Tom’s pal of 34 years, Charlie Collins (pictured), has spoken about his compassionate nature and said he loves ot help others
A friendship that started before memory
Charlie’s post begins with a photo: Tom laughing mid-stride in a field, dressed in a suit, radiating exactly the kind of whimsical joy viewers now adore.
Her caption reveals a lifetime of stories:
“Tom was my first kiss — and I still joke I might be the reason he never looked twice at girls again.”
She recalls school plays where Tom’s voice soared above the crowd, evenings when he’d practise scales while she played downstairs, and the countless times he chose kindness over convenience.
The Tom she says the world deserves to know
While I’m A Celeb fans see Tom quoting poetry and calming campmates with Shakespearean charm, Charlie describes something even deeper:
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The Tom who never says no when someone asks for help.
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The Tom who once turned up to a tiny shop in December just to sing Christmas songs and make staff smile.
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The Tom who reads to children at her sister’s school because “stories matter.”
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The Tom who stood up at her wedding and delivered a poem that made the whole room cry with laughter.
She writes:
“Tom fills every space with gentleness. He spoils his mum, he spoils my mum, and he somehow makes everyone feel like they are the only person in the room.”
A son, a friend, a brother — before he was ever a celebrity
Charlie also shared how deeply Tom loves his family.
“He adores Miranda and Jack. And he worships his mum — champagne lunches, long chats, stories that leave her glowing.”
It’s the kind of sweetness that rarely makes it onto primetime television, yet explains why viewers find it impossible not to fall for him.
“The world can be frightening… but Tom is a dose of sunlight.”
Charlie’s most moving words come near the end:
“Watching him sing snakes into calm, or recite sonnets in the bathing pond like some mythical river spirit… it’s like seeing the purest parts of childhood shine through an adult.”
She calls him:
“the yolk to our egg — the warm centre that holds everything together.”
And then, with the enthusiasm of a lifelong friend rooting from the sidelines:
“Tom for the win.”
Beyond the polished accent — a real, complicated, beautiful life
In recent days, Tom has opened up about his father’s influence, his love of language, and even the unusual story of his parents’ relationship — details that have both charmed and surprised viewers.
But Charlie’s tribute paints a fuller picture:
a man shaped by love, theatre, and a lifelong instinct to lift others up.
A national favourite in the making
As I’m A Celebrity continues, Tom’s gentle humour and poetic spirit are quickly becoming highlights of the season. But thanks to Charlie’s heartfelt message, fans now see him with new eyes.
Not just a character.
Not just a voice.
Not just a vocabulary.
But a once-in-a-generation kind of soul — the kind who makes the jungle a little softer, and the world a little brighter.
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