I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! kicked off its first ever UK-based series on Sunday night, with the ten celebrities reaching their new home at Gwrych Castle for the first time.
Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were quick to reference the show’s new home by greeted fans in Welsh, and joked that even ‘the helicopters were socially-distanced’ in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The opening show saw celebrities including Vernon Kay, Beverley Callard and Mo Farah face a gruelling challenge as they journeyed into the castle, where they’ll face the toughest conditions in the show’s 18-year history.
It’s here! I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! kicked off its first ever UK-based series on Sunday night, with the ten celebrities reaching their new home at Gwrych Castle for the first time
As the show kicked off, hosts Ant and Dec appeared to be embracing the Welsh language as they greeted fans from their new home in the castle, admitting even they were surprised the show had made it to air during the current crisis.
Revealing the ten celebrities were being flown into Wales, Dec joked: ‘Even the helicopters are socially-distanced!’
Mo Farah, Beverley Callard, Hollie Arnold, Shane Richie and AJ Pritchard were dropped in the Welsh mountains, where they leaned they’d had to retrieve their rucksacks from the cliffside, with the help of the other five celebrities.
Getting a glimpse of the Welsh landscape from her chopper, Beverley said: ‘Snakes, spiders, creepy crawlies, rats, I don’t like enclosed spaces – why have I said yes to this show? Oh dear, I don’t mind ironing.’
We’re back! Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were quick to reference the show’s new home by greeted fans in Welsh, and joked that even ‘the helicopters were socially-distanced’ in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
Off we go! The show kicked off with stars including Mo Farah (left) and AJ Pritchard flying into the Welsh mountains to meet with the celebrities they’d be living with
Ready: Vernon Kay and Beverley Callard (right) both clearly had reservations about the challenge at hand
AJ added: ‘This is the one show I watched as a child and always wanted to do, this is a dream come true.’
Mo said ‘I don’t have any survival skills apart from running away from things you don’t like.’
Vernon Kay, Jessica Plummer, Jordan North, Giovanna Fletcher and Victoria Derbyshire learned that they would also have to make their way down the side of a cliff to collect the rucksacks, which were padlocked to the rocks, with the help of the other stars who had been placed higher up.
First task: The opening challenge saw the celebrites work in pairs to abseil down a cliffside to collect rucksacks with their kit inside, for when they move into the castle
Working in pairs the stars would unlock the rucksacks after answering questions about each other, and any wrong answers would mean that stars would be without their kit when they head into the castle.
From the start Jordan struggled with the prospect of abseiling down the perilous cliff, and was sick in the grass before saying: ‘I can’t believe I was sick, I’ve only been here five minutes and I’m puking up already.’
The challenge proved to be as dramatic as ever, with Giovanna losing her footing as she made her way down the cliff, but she quickly recovered before managing to grab the first rucksack.
That’s nasty: From the start Jordan struggled with the prospect of abseiling down the perilous cliff, and was sick in the grass before saying: ‘I can’t believe I was sick, I’ve only been here five minutes and I’m puking up already’
Vernon was up next down the cliff with Beverley at the bottom to help him, and the duo managed to get the next rucksack, following swiftly by Victoria and Jess.
This year’s stars will experience the most brutal living conditions in the show’s 20-year history, after ITV relocated from Australia to Wales due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Hosts Ant and Dec, who will be presenting from their new studio next door, will enter the castle’s living quarters at the end of each episode to reveal which celebrity has been voted by the public to do the trials – which, like always, will feature critters.
ITV hired the 19th century castle for six weeks costing £1 million after Covid-19 ruled out the usual setting in Australia.
MailOnline was given special access to the show’s brand new set located inside the eerie Gwrych Castle, ITV hired the 19th century castle for six weeks costing £1million after Covid-19 ruled out the usual setting in Australia.
The contestants will sleep on rusty old beds, covered by a newly installed plastic roof, with only the campfire located inside the adjoining living quarters providing any heat.
If the campmates need the toilet at night, they have to wander outside in the Baltic conditions to visit the Privy, a battered old shed, which has replaced the traditional dunny.
And the usually pampered celebrities will bathe in a tiny tin bath and wash their hair using water from an old watering can hanging above – their modesty covered by a mouldy shower curtain.
The live shows will air in the evening for the guests – instead of morning time in Australia – which means the tasks will be held late at night, with a torchlit staircase replacing the famous bridge.
Executive producer Tom Gould told Mirror Online: ‘This is the equivalent of our trials bridges in Australia. So this is where they go down and face their fears in the trials.
‘Obviously it will happen at night, after the live show, so these flaming torches will all be lit and it will be very atmospheric.’
The 2020 series is also expected to only last 20 days – two shorter than normal.
ITV announced an extreme COVID Management Plan to ensure the series runs smoothly, including the celebrities being tested every three days and crew members wearing proximity buzzers, wear masks and get temperature checks on arrival.
The celebrities have been isolating for two weeks ahead of their arrival.
ITV Studios Director of Entertainment, Richard Cowles, said: ‘Everyone on the production team has worked incredibly hard to bring I’m A Celebrity to Wales and a massive part of making that possible has been developing our protocols around COVID.
‘We have worked with ITV’s Independent Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Litchfield, ITV’s Health and Safety Department and our own health and safety and medical teams to keep everyone connected with the production, both in front of and behind the camera, as safe as possible.’
Dr Paul Litchfield added: ‘Those involved in I’m A Celebrity are used to working safely in extreme and difficult environments.
‘The procedures and protocols developed aim to provide defence in depth against the coronavirus, applying industry best practice while always adhering to government and local guidelines.