Closed border dampens hopes of a return to Oz
I’M A Celebrity...could return to Wales this year after Australia said it would not relax its border laws.
ITV bosses were hopeful the smash hit show would be filmed in the jungle Down Under again.
But officials there said they do not expect to welcome international travel back until 2022.
It means the show may return to Gwrych Castle, inset, near Abergele in North Wales for the second year running in November.
ITV bosses are said to be in talks over the venue and a source said: “I’m A Celebrity...will happen this year, it is just a case of deciding the location.
“We have contingencies and plans for all options and a decision will be made in summer.”
Hosts Ant and Dec said plans were “up in the air” for the series this year but insisted it would not be an issue if they did return to Wales.
Dec said they were “made to feel very welcome” there.
Ant added: “Having the castle as a backdrop really helped with the challenges and the reference points, and I think all the celebs who were in there absolutely loved it. So we would happily go back to Wales if we had to.” In Australia’s budget plan this week, officials confirmed that “inbound and outbound international travel is expected to remain low through to mid-2022, after which a gradual recovery in international tourism is assumed to occur”. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he did not believe that Australians had an “appetite” for opening borders if it meant more outbreaks of coronavirus, lockdowns and social restrictions.
For ITV to go to Australia now to film the show under the current rules, each member of the cast and crew coming from the UK would need to apply for individual exemptions to travel.
Each person would have to explain to the government how they are “delivering services in sectors critical to Australia’s economic recovery, where no Australian worker is available”.
A delay in getting vaccine doses to Australia is partly to blame for the border closures.
It was thought a final decision would have to be made by September but the news from Australia may change this.
ITV is understood to already have an agreement in place to return to Gwrych Castle this year as a back up in case the Australian outback was not an option.