Inside I'm A Celebrity star Tulisa's 'years from hell' - sex tape leak and drug sting

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Tulisa Contostavlos , a campmate on I'm A Celebrity, first gained fame as part of the hip hop group N-Dubz, alongside her cousin Dappy and ex-boyfriend Fazer.

Her star rose even higher when Simon Cowell chose her to replace Cheryl as a judge on The X Factor. She quickly became a fan favourite and led Little Mix to victory in the 2011 series, helping them become one of the biggest girl bands since The Spice Girls. After leaving The X Factor in 2012, Tulisa embarked on a successful solo career, including a number 1 single with Young.



However, her life took a turn for the worse when a sex tape featuring her and ex Justin Edwards was leaked online. She was also arrested for alleged drug dealing - charges she has always denied and was cleared of when it was revealed she'd been set up, leading to the collapse of her 2014 trial. The now 36-year-old then spent several difficult years out of the public eye until N-Dubz reunited last year and announced a new album and tour that sold out within minutes.

Now, as she prepares for another round of intense fame as one of this year's stars on I'm A Celebrity...

Get Me Out Of Here!, the Mirror takes a look back at what's happened between then and now...

Initially, her ex-partner Justin Edwards - also known as MC Ultra - denied being the one who leaked it, but he later confessed to being responsible. At the time, Tulisa was only 23-years-old and said it felt like her 'world was ending', particularly as it occurred at the peak of her career. In one of the first high-profile revenge porn cases, 60 websites were ordered to remove the footage, which was filmed three years earlier when Tulisa and Justin were still together.

However, as the charge was not yet illegal in the UK, Tulisa only received an apology from her then 28-year-old ex, and no further legal action could be taken. Discussing the impact Justin's actions have had on her to this day, Tulisa recently told Olivia Attwood's So Right It's Wrong podcast: "Honestly, there's no words to describe. It felt like virtual rape, that's the only way I can describe the emotion.

It was just horrific. I felt so, just, judged and I felt disgusting, I felt ashamed." "I just became miserable by the end of that second year, I wasn't going to do the [The X Factor] show again.

I just hated it, I hated it every day. It's affected my relationships to this day and intimacy and all those kinds of things - it's life changing in a big, big way." She added: "It's taken me many, many years to come to terms with it.

But for me, all pain is growth, so every single part of my experiences I was mean to feel, and I wouldn't be the person I am today without them." A year on from her initial fame, Tulisa found herself embroiled in another controversy—she was nabbed for allegedly dealing £800 worth of cocaine. However, it emerged she had been entrapped by an undercover 'News of the World' journalist, Mazher Mahmood, known as the 'Fake Sheikh', who while masquerading as a wealthy film producer promised her a role in a Hollywood movie.

In 2013, Mahmood alleged that Tulisa facilitated the sale of drugs to him through one of her contacts, leading to the evidence being passed to the police. While the case reached the courts, it spectacularly fell apart after accusations surfaced of Mahmood doctoring evidence and committing perjury. He eventually faced trial for related charges, receiving a 15-month prison sentence.

After being cleared, Tulisa, who consistently maintained her innocence, stated: "Let me be perfectly clear, I have never dealt drugs and I have never been involved in taking or dealing cocaine. This whole case was a horrific and disgusting entrapment by Mazher Mahmood." But later the same year, Tulisa's legal woes weren't over as she faced court once more, this time for purportedly assaulting celebrity blogger Vas J Morgan at the V Festival in Essex, an encounter during which she said the TOWIE star insulted her mentally ill mother.

Denying the allegations, she nonetheless ended up convicted and was ordered to pay a fine of £3,000. Tulisa expressed her distress stating: "This has been a rollercoaster week for me. I never wanted any of this.

I did not assault Vas J Morgan and I am outraged at this decision. I will be appealing it. There are a number of high-profile witnesses who were there and know what happened.

I urge them to come forward and tell the truth at the appeal. I am determined to clear my name as I have already done once this week. I repeat – I did not assault Vas J Morgan.

I am innocent." After a harrowing 'year from hell', she contested the ruling in a bid to vindicate herself. She accused Mr Morgan of harboring a "strange obsession" with her and waging a "vendetta" following an occurrence where she had him removed from a VIP section in Whisky Mist nightclub, located in Mayfair, London.

Despite her efforts, Judge David Radford affirmed her conviction, pronouncing that: "We find that she did strike Mr Morgan." In a separate incident in 2016, Tulisa found herself before the court once more, admitting to a charge of drink-driving. Visibly upset in court, the then 27 year old acknowledged crashing her Ferrari on the incorrect side of a North London street, colliding with another car.

Thankfully, the clash was slight and no one was injured. Subsequently, Tulisa received a driving suspension for 15 months and faced a penalty of £1,000. Prosecutors also withdrew an accusation of dangerous driving.

In the following years, Tulisa took a break from the limelight, spending most of her time in LA and making few public appearances. However, in 2018 she won a legal battle against will.i.

am and Britney Spears, claiming they failed to credit her for their 2012 hit 'Scream and Shout'. Tulisa stated that she co-wrote the track with Will for her album 'The Female Boss', but it was later dropped. The song was subsequently released by Will and Britney, reaching number one in the UK charts - Britney's first chart-topper in nearly ten years.

Tulisa won the case, receiving an official credit on the record and 10 percent of the publishing rights and income. Over the years, Tulisa has admitted to undergoing various cosmetic procedures, resulting in a significant change in her appearance since N-Dubz first emerged in 2007. She previously confessed: "Yes, I've had my lips done, and I'm happy with my lips.

And I also had a tiny bit of filler in my cheeks. Pictures of me where my face swelling, I had water retention – where you have filler your face draws up loads of water. So my face began to swell like a balloon.

" However, she has refuted claims of having a nose job, telling The Guardian: "It really bugs me when people say I've had a nose job. That's just makeup. So losing a stone, filler in my cheeks, my lips done and the contouring – and people do think, oh gosh, you look so different.

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In a candid appearance on Loose Women in 2020, Tulisa disclosed her struggle with Bell's Palsy, a condition resulting in temporary facial paralysis which she said was due to nerve damage from a horse riding accident. Facing heartless trolls over the changes in her look, she confided: "I do suffer from Bell's Palsy. There's been times people have criticised the way I look and my face, not knowing I'm going through a Bell's Palsy attack.

"Someone online said I looked like I was having a stroke. I have emergency steroids on me and I know how to handle it. Some of the worst comments would be too harsh for daytime television.

The worst things you can say about women." Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here .

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