Hollywood star Nicole Kidman says she could easily have won a series of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here, because she would not mind eating “witchetty grubs”.

The 48-year-old star spoke to the Press Association about her latest venture and “co-stars”, Meerkats Sergei and Aleksandr.

She has taken over the reins from fellow Hollywood A-lister Arnold Schwarzenegger to star in the new advert for comparethemarket.com.

She joked: “As you’ll see in the ad, my preference is Sergei. He’s much cuter! And I’d have to say Alexsandr has been a bit of a diva, which is no surprise given his fame in the UK.”

Kidman revealed they had not yet tried to get her to eat any grubs but added: “No, but because I’m Australian, we’re used to that kind of thing and I’ve even been known to try a witchetty grub… see I could’ve gone on I’m a Celebrity and won it! I wouldn’t have to be bribed or anything. I’d be happy to eat the witchetty grubs!”

The 40-second advert sees some fur flying as Kidman arrives at Aleksandr’s house – to take his meerkat pal Sergei on a date to the movies!

Nicole Kidman is the new star of the Meerkat Movies adverts (Compare The Market)
Nicole Kidman is the new star of the Meerkat Movies adverts (Compare The Market)

Sneaky Sergei uses his Meerkat Movies 2 for 1 cinema tickets to take Kidman on the date, leaving Aleksandr outraged.

The Meerkats aside, she is currently starring in the West End theatre production of Photograph 51, playing Rosalind Franklin.

“I’m doing Photograph 51 in London which I’m excited to do,” she said, “I haven’t been on stage since The Blue Room but I’m also really glad because it’s about Rosalind Franklin who’s a really interesting female scientist who was very instrumental in the discovery of DNA.”

The star called London her “second home” because she spends so much time here.

Nicole Kidman stars in the new Meerkat Movies  advert (Compare The Market)
Nicole Kidman stars in the new Meerkat Movies advert (Compare The Market)

“My favourite time of year is actually when I’m doing plays. That’s September through to Christmas because I love Hyde Park at Christmas and that whole Christmas vibe,” she said.

The English countryside is another reason she loves the United Kingdom.

“I love going driving on the weekends down to the Cotswolds. And I love the Lake District,” she said, “It’s harder to get there because it’s so far isn’t it. But gosh it’s gorgeous, so I’ve done a lot of hiking there because of the poets that lived there. All the different poets who were inspired by the landscape. That’s part of the reason why I go there, it’s gorgeous.”

Italy is next on her bucket list though: “I still want to go and live in Italy and work on my Italian, become a better cook because I’m not a good cook,” she said.

Nicole Kidman (Compare The Market)
Nicole Kidman (Compare The Market)

She also revealed the best advice anyone had given her in her career came from her mum, Janelle.

“My mum would always say don’t let anyone break your spirit, which I think is a really good one for a girl. Because you don’t want to see a broken spirit in a girl. I suppose, I said it in the Vogue interview, the simplest thing that my grandmother would always whisper to me was ‘just be happy Nicky’. Which basically means just be in the moment, don’t sweat the small stuff and live cause it’s a gift, right?”

Meerkat Movies offers customers 2 for 1 cinema tickets every Tuesday or Wednesday for a whole year when buying insurance or switching energy with comparethemarket.com.