I’m A Celeb to be held in freezing WALES with no jungle showers and sheep’s balls instead of kangaroo testicles
I’M a Celebrity will set up camp in Wales for the next series after the pandemic forced show bosses to abandon the Australian jungle.
Hosts Ant and Dec and contestants will shoot the 20th series in November in a ruined castle in the far-flung north of the country — renowned for record-breaking village name Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
But a source insisted: “Everyone is dedicated to making this series as brilliant as all the others.”
The switch, caused by Covid restrictions in Australia, will mean more need for wellies than bikinis, and see the waterfall shower made famous by Myleene Klass replaced by stints in a “tin tub”.
Instead of high humidity and temperatures of around 22C (71.6F), stars camped in the grounds of a remote ruined castle will battle it out in November winds at 8.5C (47.3F).
But they will not escape stomach-churning trials. Scoffing kangaroo testicles and camel penis will likely be replaced with munching on local offerings including sheep’s genitals.
The upside is that cash saved on filming Down Under could be used to help lure bigger celebs.
A source said: “Ant and Dec and the same production team are all on board and everyone is 110 per cent dedicated to making this series as brilliant as all the others.”
The show, won last year by Jacqueline Jossa, will lose its Australian themes, including the Dingo Dollar challenge.
They will be replaced by local equivalents — with medieval history being considered. And for the first time, a champion will be crowned King or Queen of the Castle.
Suitable contingency plans will be made for extremely adverse weather, including makeshift huts to allow stars some shelter from the elements.
But ITV bosses are keen to keep as much of a familiar feel to the show as possible, retaining the same look for stars’ on-screen outfits while adding extra waterproof and thermal layers.
Producers took the final decision to move the show after lockdown restrictions made planning in Australia impossible.
A show source said: “It’s been a dynamic and fast-changing situation. What is OK one day is impossible the next.
“The team have had many, many different contingency plans in play to deal with all the various possibilities that Covid-19 has presented.
“However as time went on it became increasingly obvious that as one problem is solved, another appeared and there came a point where producers had to make tough decisions.”
On Sunday the state of Victoria declared “a state of disaster” and a tougher lockdown amid a flare-up in cases, while Melbourne has a curfew.
Many of the crew usually stay in Coolangatta, Queensland, while the show is filming on a disused banana plantation in bordering New South Wales.
The source added: “Queensland has shut that border. This causes significant problems because the production straddles the two states.
“Clearly there is no guarantee — and we wouldn’t expect one — that this would be rectified. Even if it was, the Australian authorities could quite rightly re-impose it at any time.
“Starting a show and not being able to finish it would be a nightmare.
“Some of the airlines that we use have stopped flying to Brisbane during September.
“So even if this is rectified by later in the autumn — flights are all subject to change, which makes it extremely difficult for us to plan.
“We looked at reducing crew in Australia but this is a big production which inevitably requires people to travel.
“Producers have had to make this decision now to give them enough time to prepare the UK version.
“It promises to be as much fun, if colder, than its Australian counterpart.”
Reduced production costs could mean extra cash is available for show bookers — and that may see fresh approaches to stars who have previously turned down the show.
Big names including politician Nigel Farage are among those said to remain high on their wishlist.
But despite the optimism at ITV, some industry insiders believe bosses may struggle to hire top names because of the less appealing destination.
A source said: “Let’s be honest — going to Australia, taking the family and staying at the five-star Versace hotel is a pretty appealing proposition.
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“The reality is Wales in November isn’t going to have anything like the same sort of draw.
“So it might well come down to cash deals on offer to stop people saying they’d rather not bother this year.
“Hopefully the extra budget will help make it a bumper year — and it’s also about getting the right mix, not just the biggest names.”
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