22 Nov 2004
Anorak
THE Australian doctor who yesterday claimed that woman deal better with pain than men had clearly never come across Natalie Appleton.
The former All Saint became the first contestant on this year’s I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! to break down in tears – less than 24 hours into the show.
In fact, the Star says the 31-year-old was already cracking up on the helicopter taking her and her nine fellow contestants to the jungle clearing where some of them will spend part of the next fortnight.
“I can’t handle it,” she sobbed. “I’ve not slept for two days. I can’t be Super Nat. I’m not. I can’t do it. This isn’t me. I don’t think I have the strength.”
Nat might not have the strength, but her alter ego Super Nat does – if only she can summon her up.
Indeed, an accident at birth gave Super Nat superhuman powers that allow her to spend 24 hours in something other than a five-star hotel without turning into a blubbing mess.
Unfortunately, fellow contestant Nancy Sorrell has no superhero alter ego to turn to in moments of crisis and, having entertained her jungle buddies with a version of Cry Me A River, she proceeded to, well, cry them a river.
The Mirror says she was quick to follow Natalie with the waterworks, weeping as she told how she was missing husband Vic Reeves.
“I can’t ring him,” she spluttered. “I haven’t seen him for ages and I’m missing him.”
All of which must come as something of an embarrassment to Professor Mari Botti, of Deakin University, who chose the very day to publish research suggesting that women cope far better under duress than men.
He studied 100 patients recovering from heart surgery and concluded that women need lower doses of morphine and for less time to cope with the pain after the operation.
And the Mail says the reason may be different perceptions of pain levels.
“Women,” it concludes, “may simply not complain as much as men.”
Which makes us very glad that it is the Appleton sisters and not the Appleton brothers...
