Tulisa has revealed that we’ve all been pronouncing her name wrong for the entire time – after being asked about it on a recent podcast episode.

The N-Dubz singer and former X Factor judge is currently taking part in the latest series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here alongside the likes of Coleen Rooney and GK Barry.

Despite only being in the jungle for one day, the star has already been showing off her iconic ‘The Female Boss’ tattoo as well as leaving fans shocked after learning her real age.

However, were you aware that we’ve been pronouncing Tulisa’s name wrong this entire time?

I’m a Celeb marks the former singer’s TV comeback (ITV)

Ahead of entering the jungle, the 36-year-old appeared on Olivia Atwood’s podcast So Wrong it’s Right where the TV personality asked about Tulisa’s real name.

“Tulisa is not your actual name,” Atwood said, a question which surprised the rapper.

“No, it isn’t,” she replied. “You’re the first person to bring that up ever. Love that.”

For anyone who wasn’t aware of this (myself included), the singer’s full name is actually Tula Paulinea Contostavlos.

“All the years of knowing you, following you, I’ve never heard that mentioned,” Atwood added, leading Tulisa to reveal the origin of the nickname.

“My grandmother is also called Tula, so I was named after her,” she began. “So Tulisa means ‘tiny Tula’ in Greek.”

Not only is Tulisa not the singer’s real name, but we’ve all been pronouncing it wrong for years (Ricky Vigil M / Justin E Palmer/GC Images)

The explanation also revealed how badly we’ve also been butchering the pronunciation all this time, as the correct way to say Tulisa would be ‘Tul-ITZ-ah’ instead of ‘Tuh-lees-a’ which most of us have been saying.

“We just butcher it,” Atwood noted, laughing, to which Tulisa responded: “Yeah… so that ended up being my nickname in Greek, growing up.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, Tulisa also opened up about the heartbreaking reason she had plastic surgery due to a Bell’s Palsy diagnosis.

Recalling her first flare-up of the condition at the age of 24, she said: “I had a massive burst of inflammation and it went down but my whole face dropped.

“I couldn’t move it, my face remained like that for seven months, I didn’t go out, I just hid in the house.”

Tulisa then went on to explain how the fillers she’d gotten in subsequent years were to ‘balance out’ her face.

This article contains affiliate links and LADbible Group might make a commission on anything purchased.

How to watch I’m A Celebrity ad-free

I’m A Celeb fans can watch the show ad-free by signing up for a free trial of ITVX Premium here. It’s £5.99 a month or £59.99 a year thereafter.

While we all pile on the memes and jokes as I’m A Celeb returns, there’s one place online posting something more subtle… and it’s Rebekah Vardy’s account.

Having appeared on the show herself back in 2017, Vardy has shared a simple response after one of the stars made a ‘Wagatha Christie’ joke.

This, of course, comes as her rival WAG, Coleen Rooney, is part of this year’s line-up roughing it in the Australian jungle on ITV.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock from both British pop culture and court news these past few years, you’ll know the pair don’t exactly have the best rapport.

And it led to Rooney being branded as our very own ‘Wagatha’ for her iconic ‘detective’ skills.

So, as she appeared on I’m A Celeb last night (17 November), it felt like only a matter of time until someone made a joke about it. Welcome Dean McCullough.

During the mega opening trial, the BBC Radio 1 DJ was left with a choice between Rooney and his colleague, Melvin Odoom. In a bit of a BBC betrayal, he apologised to his fellow presenter because he couldn’t ignore the choice before him.

The detective icon Coleen is taking on a new kind of trial. (ITV)

“WAGATHA CHRISTIE YOU’RE COMING WITH MEEEEEEE!” he shouted as he ran away, holding hands with the 38-year-old.

Rooney did give a bit of a shake of the head as she joined her new campmate who hadn’t even given much of a ‘hello Coleen’ before launching straight into the nickname.

Ant and Dec even got involved with a few jokes (of course), including: “It’ll be nice for Coleen to face a trial that doesn’t involve Rebekah Vardy.”

Let’s be honest though, plenty of us were expecting some level of references to her rivalry and Vardy has jumped straight on it.

The 42-year-old shared a snap from her own stint in the jungle, bathing in her bikini.

She won’t be staying quiet. (Instagram/beckyvardy)

She wrote alongside it: “That feeling when you are living rent free in people’s heads [laughing emojis].”

Vardy then followed this up with a video of Donald Trump talking about facing hate as the President-elect said: “That feeling when you are living rent free in people’s heads [laughing emojis].”

The WAG has been named as The Sun’s I’m A Celeb columnist for the season, so it’s fair to say this probably isn’t the last time she’ll be making some digs at the stars.

Vardy has already said she wants to see Rooney eat ‘penis or humble pie’ on the show.

Rylan has issued a ‘let’s not’ plea as he hit back at criticism of Tulisa’s appearance last night (17 November).

The TV star appeared on The X Factor way back in 2012 – when the N-Dubz singer was one of the judges.

And now she’s made her own big comeback to the telly as she’s currently roughing it Down Under for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

But Tulisa’s return comes after years of a secret health battle that saw her spending months at a time hiding at home.

Some viewers may have noticed changes to the 36-year-old’s appearance as Rylan has reminded people to be kind.

Rylan was a contestant when Tulisa was judging The X Factor. (Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage)

In 2020, Tulisa was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, which is a temporary weakness or lack of movement that usually affects one side of the face.

The star had her first big flare up when she was 24, before her diagnosis.

“I had a massive burst of inflammation and it went down but my whole face dropped,” she said during Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong It’s Right podcast.

“I couldn’t move it, my face remained like that for seven months, I didn’t go out, I just hid in the house.”

Following a flare up in 2022, Tulisa had her facial filler dissolved and re-injected in other areas of her face to balance out the swelling.

The singer said this was a ‘vicious cycle’ of trying to fix her face.

“I had good days and bad days and I’d sometimes take steroids to bring it down,” the star reflected. “In some interviews I looked fine, in others you’d ask, ‘What the hell is going on with her face?'”

I’m A Celeb marks her TV comeback. (ITV)

So, as she appeared on I’m A Celeb last night, Rylan joined the many showing her support.

Taking to X, he shared a snap of Tulisa doing her iconic ‘The Female Boss’ pose as he wrote: “YES 2012 come throughhhhhhh.”

And he then followed up with the important plea: “Also before people start going for appearance, Tulisa has been through a lot health wise the last few years so let’s not make s**t jokes about her on twitter yeah x.”

Users responded to say: “Hope she sees how much she is loved after this series!!!”

As others said she ‘looks beautiful’. Another also put: “I live for the day when women can do stuff on or off the telly and no one judges them on their appearance (or anything else for that matter) unless it’s to give positivity and lift them up.”

This article contains affiliate links and LADbible Group might make a commission on anything purchased.

How to watch I’m A Celebrity ad-free

I’m A Celeb fans can watch the show ad-free by signing up for a free trial of ITVX Premium here. It’s £5.99 a month or £59.99 a year thereafter.

Everyone’s favourite reality show is almost here with a new season of terrifying trials and ant eating contests.

This year, Coleen Rooney is reportedly set to become the joint-highest paid contestant after Nigel Farage was said to have made it out of the I’m A Celebrity jungle with £1.5 million in last year’s competition.

N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos, Loose Women’s Jane Moore and McFly star Danny Jones are amongst some of the familiar faces we’re expecting to see in the first episode of the 2024 series.

Meet the contestants (ITV)

“I have been in the public eye for over 20 years now and people take what they want from it,” Rooney said ahead of the show.

“I do think people will get a better idea of what kind of person I am.”

While I’m A Celeb fans will wait to see how the mum-of-four gets on, Rooney might not receive her money because of a little-know rule.

According to the Metro, celebrities can’t just jump in and out of the jungle and still get paid.

Coleen Rooney will be joining up with her campmates shortly (ITV)

This article contains affiliate links and LADbible Group might make a commission on anything purchased.

The outlet reports that contestants must stay in the competition for at least 72 hours to receive their earnings.

Notably, not all them are getting paid the same amount, as they generally receive anything between £30,000 and £900,000, according to reports.

Unless you’re Rooney or Farage, that is.