Claustrophobic David Van Day broke down in tears before going on to win five stars in yesterday’s caving Bushtucker Trial.

Claustrophobic David Van Day won five stars in yesterday’s caving Bushtucker Trial.

Former Bucks Fizz star David, 51, was in tears before the trial, which saw him retrieve stars from the nooks and crannies of a network of tunnels and caves near the camp.

David – who is also afraid of the dark - had seven minutes to make his way through the tight, pitch black tunnels and dimly lit caves and pick up stars.

Directed by show hosts Ant and Dec, David plunged his hands into tubes full of rats and cane toads to retrieve two stars, and then scrabbled in dark caves and put his head under water filled with fish and eels to retrieve more.

He found five stars in total, earning the 12 celebrities five meals between them.

After the trial he told Ant and Dec: “It was terrible.

"Absolutely the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

On winning food for less than half of the camp he said: “I was hoping this was going to unite us but I’m not so sure now. "There was some horrible stuff there.”

The other contestants later congratulated David on his efforts, with Timmy Mallett describing him as a “hero”.