ITV splashed £2.1m on signing stars for I’m A Celebrity – one of the biggest bills in the show’s 20-year history

ITV has splurged £2.1million on signing famous faces for this year’s I’m A Celebrity — one of the biggest bills in the show’s 20-year history.

Bosses wanted to ensure the new series, which kicked off last night, had a sensational line-up for its return to Australia.

ITV

ITV has splurged £2.1million on signing famous faces for this year’s I’m A Celebrity[/caption]

Whereas most series only have one or two expensive signings, this time the bill has been swollen by a string of pricey celebs heading into the jungle.

A TV insider said: “This is a huge amount but ITV see coughing up this kind of cash as a worthwhile investment for the right blend of characters.

“Producers know that the right combination of stars will get viewers tuning in and staying with the show over the next three weeks — but that costs serious money.

“They’re also aware of the fact that the show has been stuck in the UK for the past two years due to Covid — and they wanted to make a huge impact as it returns to Oz.

“The show has delivered some classic jungle moments in the past thanks to the clever selection of big ticket celebrities and they want to do everything they can to repeat that in 2022.

“So they’ve shrewdly gone for famous faces who might have juicy stories to tell during the long nights round the campfire.”

Almost half the bill came from signing just two contestants. The highest paid star this year, Culture Club singer Boy George, 61, will pocket £500,000.

Second priciest is love cheat former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, 44, who can soften the blow of losing his political career with a £400,000 cheque.

The Tory MP was a last-minute addition, as revealed exclusively last week by The Sun, and is set to enter the camp later in the series along with comedian Seann Walsh, 36.

But ITV has also paid £265,000 to bag nearly-royal Mike Tindall, the 44-year-old former England rugby star who is married to the King’s niece Zara, 41.

And Radio X DJ Chris Moyles also got a handy £200,000 for agreeing to take part, probably because of the long line of celebrity stories he has up his sleeve from the eight years he spent hosting his breakfast show on Radio 1.

It is understood that, despite offers of bumper pay days, some of the stars still took persuading to take part, particularly Boy George who was brought on board by hosts Ant and Dec.

In his autobiography, Straight, he revealed that he was asked years ago to take part but dismissed those who did so as “smacking of desperation”.

The singer, real name George O’Dowd and reportedly worth £44million, wrote: “I was offered the most money anybody has ever been promised to appear on I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here!

“My agent Tony Denton urged me to take the meeting. I said, ‘How would you fancy appearing on television in the jungle looking like a sweaty pig jumping into vats of creepy-crawlies?’

“He said, ‘I wouldn’t do it’. To which I replied, ‘There you go’.” Boy George added: “Whenever I see anybody on those type of programmes it smacks of desperation. I’m far too vain.”

A spokesman for ITV declined to comment last night.