I'm A Celeb's Tulisa opens up about shocking 'Fake Sheikh' scandal

22 November 2024, 17:41 | Updated: 27 November 2024, 17:31

Tulisa sheds light on fake Sheikh case. Picture: ITV / Getty

By Abbie Reynolds

Who is 'Fake Sheikh'? Tulisa has opened up about how she was caught in a fake drug scandal in 2013.

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In 2013 Tulisa's career was left on the line after she found herself arrested for concern in the selling of class A drugs. However, it was a complete hoax and three years later the truth was revealed and Tulisa was let go.

On I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! this year, all of the campmates have been opening to one another in the most surprising but moving ways. Barry McGuigan spoke about the death of his daughter Danika, Danny Jones opened up about his struggle with anxiety and Oti Mabuse spoke about her brother who committed suicide at just 16 years old.

Tulisa's been a point of interest for fans, especially after finding out about her famous dad. But the songstress has also been integral in encouraging her campmates to express their feelings, especially stressing the importance of men showing their emotions. In one episode viewers saw Tulisa open up about possibly the most intense event of her life.

In a candid chat with Oti she spilled on all of the inside details of how she was wrongly arrested in 2013.

Read more: Inside Maura Higgins' relationship with Barry McGuigan's son Shane
Read more: When does I'm A Celeb 2024 end? How long is it on for?

Tulisa is in I'm A Celeb 2024. Picture: ITV

What happened to Tulisa in 2013?

Taking to her fellow campmate Oti Mabuse, Tulisa said: "2013 was the year that I was set up by a British newspaper for concern in the selling of class A drugs."

She detailed how she had been offered £3.5 million for an acting role and was flown out first class to meet with producers in Las Vegas.

Tulisa explained: "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 said that because she wasn't an actress the producers had encouraged her to act up to the role in real life and the character was a "bad girl from London who was constantly up to naughtiness, rolling with gangs, up to all kinds of naughty stuff".

Tulisa sheds light on fake Sheikh case

Explaining how they then incriminated her, 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.

"The long story short is they ended up ordering £800 worth of cocaine from the number that I had given them."

Did Tulisa get arrested in 2013?

Yes, after she told Oti that they had ordered drugs from a number she'd given them, she said: "Then before I knew it, I was being arrested in the concern of the selling of Class A drugs and I was facing four years in prison."

The star said in an instant her "life fell apart" and she lost all of her endorsements. However when the case went to trial she managed to prove her innocence.

What happened in Tulisa's 'Fake Sheikh' scandal?

Tulisa explained: "When it came to the trial, I'd had a conversation with one of their drivers - I was being recorded but I didn't know - I was saying how anti-drugs I am, so they were very aware of my feelings towards drugs."

She said initially the driver gave a statement saying she was anti-drugs but was pressured by the journalist who had set her up to retract it. However in court this was all revealed the case fell apart.

Mahmood was then jailed for 15 months for perverting the course of justice in 2016 relating to his actions in Tulisa's court case. After this other cases he'd brought against other celebs were also looked into.

Mazher Mahmood concealing his face as he entered the Old Bailey. Picture: Getty

Who is 'Fake Sheikh'?

Fake Sheikh is the name given to the disgraced British reporter Mazher Mahmood. He was given the name as during many of his exploitations he posed as a Sheikh, which is a respected older gentleman or leader in the Muslim community.

As well as the Tulisa scandal, he's known for reporting on an alleged planned kidnap of Victoria Beckham which fell through when it was revealed his witness had been paid £10,000 and could not be considered a reliable witness.