Yahoo News Can I'm A Celebrity make it to the final without more stars quitting?
Tensions have been rising in camp over food and politics
Will I'm A Celebrity get to the final without more stars quitting the show? The all important question comes after both Grace Dent and Jamie Lynn Spears quit on medical grounds.
TV and entertainment expert for Press Box PR, Lynn Carratt, told Yahoo: "I am sure there is fear that there could be more departures from camp in the coming days. Things become tenser as the celebs near the end of their journey."
Tensions have reached boiling point in camp with rows breaking out among I'm A Celeb's stars over everything from politics to food. The final is under a week away on Sunday 10th December.
In recent days, both Nella Rose and Josie Gibson sparked concerns from viewers that they could leave the ITV jungle show early.
"Nella is definitely on the cusp of leaving; she has talked about quitting many times and said she didn't want to be the first to go. Many viewers expected her to go before Jamie Lynn Spears, as did I. Nella recently had to be treated by on-site medics and isn't performing well in trials, which will knock her confidence, so I fear she could be the next to walk," Carratt added.
Rose was frustrated after completing her eighth Bushtucker trial over the weekend. She has threatened to quit the show before now.
Josie Gibson in tears
Over the weekend, Josie Gibson broke down too over missing her young son Reggie saying it was a "mistake" to leave him behind.
But campmate and EastEnders actor Danielle Harold was on hand to reassure her that she was doing the right thing with her stint in the jungle.
It sparked concern from viewers at home on social media that Gibson could leave camp.
But things appeared to change in Sunday's episode as she said a "fire" had been "lit" inside of her when she heard from him in the letter from home.
PR guru Ms Carratt explained how TV bosses boost morale in camp in a bid to stop them yearning for home and their families.
She said: "Producers can employ clever tactics to encourage celebs to stay and boost morale, like sending in letters from home early, or in 2018 when campmates had a surprise visit from their loved ones."
Ant and Dec joke about stars quitting
Of course, all the drama fallouts from the departures hasn't been lost on long-time hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly.
The cheeky Newcastle born presenters couldn't resist poking fun at the stars leaving the show on Thursday's episode last week.
After Spears was the second star to leave, Donnelly joked the breaking news was that: "Nobody has walked out of the jungle for the whole 24 hours!"
McPartlin took it even further, laughing about how him and Donnelly had considered quitting themselves.
He said: "The weather has been so bad this year, me and Dec have thought about leaving."
Who has quit I'm A Celebrity 2023?
Grace Dent was the first to leave I'm A Celebrity on medical grounds this year. Dent’s “saddest goodbye” left her campmates in tears.
Ms Carratt said: "It is actually the first time in the show's 23-series history that two contestants have left on medical grounds. For Grace Dent, the decision for her to leave was definitely the right one."
Dent's departure was shortly followed by Britney’s younger sister Jamie Lynn Spears who had been crying about missing her children and also quit on medical grounds.
Carratt added: "Since entering the jungle, Jamie Lynn Spears has been teetering on an emotional edge because she missed her family; she has seemed fragile since the beginning.
"But she wasn't scared of the challenges she faced in the camp. If anything, winning 10 stars in the Climb Of Cruelty trial was a huge confidence boost for her, and I thought she would stick it out."
However, there were revealing signs that Spears was going to leave before she quit.
"But she does have a form for quitting reality shows. Jamie left the US version of SAS: Who Dares Wins after just two days," the PR expert added.
"So, producers of I'm a Celebrity would have known when signing her that she was a flight risk, but for the insight she could give viewers into the world of Britney Spears, they obviously thought it was worth the gamble.
"Breaking her silence after leaving, Jamie said she would be taking some "time to recover" before speaking about her experience further."
Frankie Dettori was the first star to be voted out of the ITV jungle camp.
ITV's duty of care
It is no secret that I'm A Celebrity can at times be gruelling, as well as a rewarding experience - with many stars saying it has been the highlight of their careers.
The famous faces often come out of the jungle having conquered their fears - in the very first episode Marvin Humes squashed his fear of heights with the skydive.
Stars quitting the show though is always a risk with a show like I'm A Celebrity, the PR expert pointed out.
Carratt said: "With I'm A Celebrity, one thing you do know is it will be a challenge, and it's about how you cope with that challenge that sets them apart from each other, so people quitting is always a risk. The thunderstorms and rain have also been particularly bad this year, which has negatively impacted campmates.
"Being a contestant on I'm A Celebrity is a real challenge of mental and physical strength and is very different to how celebs live in the real world. So when entering the jungle, they know it will be demanding from the outset, and it's all about how you cope within that environment; like in the real world, some just can't."
Behind the scenes ITV have special measures in place to look after the welfare of the celebrities during their stint on the reality series.
Carratt explained: "When celebs sign up, ITV have to put them through a rigorous and robust testing process to assess their needs before being confirmed to participate in the show, so obviously, bosses will have an idea from the word go who will likely stay the course.
"ITV also have to ensure there is a duty of care towards the contestants and have a psychologist and medical team on-site at all times.
"Like any new experience in life - it's the unknown. It is the first time the celebs have done it. Therefore, they would only know how to cope or what to expect once they are put in that situation."
Yahoo News has reached out to ITV for further comment.
