'I'm A Celebrity' fans revolted by Ant and Dec's fish-eye-eating trial

Ant and Dec during a bushtucker trial on I'm a Celebrity
Ant and Dec during a bushtucker trial on I'm A Celebrity.

They’ve spent 19 series laughing at celebrities in jungle peril, but Ant and Dec finally got their comeuppance with their very own bushtucker trials in an I’m A Celebrity lookback show.

Geordie hosts Ant and Dec filmed the three trials in the Australian jungle during last year’s filming, before anyone realised that series 20 would have to take place in Wales instead.

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The footage aired in Sunday night’s I’m A Celebrity – A Jungle Story, where the presenting duo enjoyed a round-up of the show’s funniest moments.

Getting his own back on the pair was former campmate Joel Dommett, who took on their usual role as they navigated a series of disgusting tasks.

Of course, it culminated in an eating trial that included such revolting dishes as witchetty grub, blended vomit fruit, and fermented egg – all of which was signed off by Dec’s wife in her role as their manager.

Dec had a tough time keeping down his smoothie of blended cockroaches and eventually had to admit defeat.

But it was Ant’s attempt at eating a fish eye that really turned viewers’ stomachs.

Other trials saw them gunged and covered in showers of jungle critters, and encased in helmets full of spiders and snakes.

As Ant and Dec watched footage from some of the most memorable bushtucker trials from the last 19 series, they admitted to almost never feeling sorry for the celebrities.

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Dec said: “I think our attitudes have changed... We’re slightly more evil with them now.”

Ant added: “I think it all changed with Paul Burrell because that was the first trial we laughed in.”

Viewers also got a chance to find out some behind-the-scenes gossip from the trials, including how frustrated Ant and Dec were with Helen Flanagan refusing to take part in them, and the lads’ reaction to Gillian McKeith’s dodgy faint to get out of a live trial.

Dec said: “We had so many contingency plans, but the one thing we didn’t plan for was Gillian fainting live on camera.”

Fatima Whitbread popped in to show how she had commemorated her infamous trial where a cockroach got stuck up her nose – by encasing the critter in a glass paperweight.

And if you’ve ever wondered why the celebrities have to show their tongues after an eating trial...well, Ant and Dec can’t tell you that, either.

Grimacing, Ant said: “That’s the worst bit of it, I don’t want to see that. I think the producers make them do it.”

I’m A Celebrity begins on Sunday at 9pm on ITV.