I'm A Celebrity could stay in Wales next year, series boss confirms
The jungle days could be over.
ITV's long-running reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here could remain in its new Welsh setting next year, the showrunner has said.
The series has traditionally been filmed in the Australian jungle, with the local lingo and native creatures being a big part of its sense of humour as well as its infamous Bushtucker Trials.
I'm A Celebrity shifted to a castle location in North Wales this year due to travel restrictions necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, but the show has remained a ratings hit with 12 million tuning into the series premiere.
This resounding success has left showrunner Richard Cowles open to the prospect of staying in I'm A Celebrity filming location of Gwrych Castle moving forward, although no final decision has been made just yet.
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He told Broadcast Now: "Australia has been I’m A Celebrity’s natural home and the Welsh version was born out of necessity rather than choice, but we’ve learned a lot and so maybe there is a UK incarnation of the show.
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"We will look at what being in Wales means for the format going forward. Is it something we would want to do again, or do we want to return to Australia?"
A poll of more than 2,000 I'm A Celeb fans found that almost two-thirds actually prefer the castle setting to the usual jungle locale and Cowles agrees that the producers have maintained a high level of quality despite the major shift.
“It has been a different [type of show] because the environment is different, but it is absolutely as good as ever in terms of what audiences see on screen," he added.
The I'm A Celebrity 2020 final takes place tonight, with television presenter Vernon Kay, BBC Radio 1 host Jordan North and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher still in the running for the castle crown.
I'm A Celebrity 2020 concludes tonight at 9pm on ITV. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide.
