Will I’m A Celebrity go ahead this year? ITV declares it ‘too early’ to make plans

While many television shows have seen production halted, delayed, or cancelled altogether due to the coronavirus pandemic, ITV’s winter reality staple I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! has managed to escape being axed – for the time being.

The jungle-based series, which has been on screens since 2002, has been a huge ratings hit for every one of its 19 seasons with loyal fans flocking to see celebrities put through their paces.

However, with Covid-19 still holding the world in its vice-grip, and with international travel looking increasingly difficult as several countries remain on lockdown, ITV is now reportedly in crisis talks to try and save one of its flagship shows from the chop.

“I’m A Celebrity is six months away but bosses are holding meetings about how they can ensure it still goes ahead in the current climate,” an insider told The Sun.

“A raft of measures are being looked at. One of the most recent plans was to employ a crew that is 95 per cent made up of Australian workers to overcome the issues surrounding flying to different countries and the quarantine restrictions.”

The source continued: “It’s such a ratings hit, so they’ll do everything possible to make sure it goes on air.

"But the safety and welfare of their teams is the priority at all times.”

A spokesperson for ITV responded that it was “too early” to discuss plans around the show, which usually launches in November-time, and added to the Evening Standard that they had no further comment.

However, reports of crisis talks come after ITV boss Kevin Lygo revealed the channel was looking at “an alternative” should I’m a Celeb not be able to go on air as planned.

Speaking via video link at the Edinburgh TV Festival, the 62-year-old said the series was being planned to go ahead as usual in Australia, with advertising for staff Down Under and bookers talking to potential celebrity campmates over Zoom and Skype – but did not explain what the alternative plan would be should I’m a Celebrity not go ahead.

ITV has already suffered a substantial blow to its scheduling, having already cut its regular output of soaps as well as losing its summer series of smash-hit reality show, Love Island.

After initially considering filming the dating series in Cornwall as opposed to Majorca, Lygo decided to pull the plug on Love Island altogether, adding he was concerned about “what sort of message” it would be sending out for strangers to be dating when the rest of the country had to adhere to strict social distancing rules.

If I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! faces the same fate, it will also leave ITV with a problem of what to fill the schedules with. Airing every night more three weeks for over an hour, there are very few shows that are as intense (or as popular) as I’m a Celebrity that can adequately plug the gap. With ITV also announcing its ad revenue is down by 42% in April, the channel needs to make a decision about what will air – and fast.

One of the ways around this issue, which has reportedly been considered by ITV, is putting its potential campmates in 14 day quarantine to ensure they cannot spread coronavirus and flying them out to the jungle slightly earlier.

A showbiz agent told The Sun Online: "ITV will continue to say publicly that they are monitoring the situation, but I’ve been told by one of the team that they are cautiously optimistic that it will go ahead.

"They hope that they’ll be able to go ahead by flying in the cast and crew and quarantining them for 14 days and people signed up for the show have been told to expect a longer stay in Oz – and also a larger cheque.

"They can’t get any assurances from the Australia authorities that this will be a goer as, quite rightly, they’ve got more important issues on their plate, but the feeling is that it will happen."

This would be in line with Australia’s current laws, as the country boasts some of the toughest travel restrictions in the world. Currently, all incoming passengers have a mandatory fortnight isolation period in allocated accommodation, with all food, drink and medical support provided. Visitors by law have to stay in this accommodation until you’re medically cleared to enter the Australian community.

It has been rumoured that Eric Cantona, Beverley Callard and AJ Pritchard are amongst the names ITV have signed for the 2020 series.

Jacqueline Jossa was crowned Queen of the Jungle during the show's last series in 2019.

Read more

Entire schools could be shut again after single virus test

Rishi Sunak urged not to cut business lifeline too soon

Women 'doing hour more childcare and housework than men in lockdown'