JUNGLE FEVER!
Tears, tantrums and terror as I’m a Celeb kicks off
They’re swinging through trees, they’re wading through swamps, they’re throwing tantrums … and some are already in tears.
Yes, the celebs aren’t even properly in the jungle yet – but the madness is already under way. And who, of course, would have it any other way?
Welcome, folks, to the annual carnival of creepy- crawlies, snakes, beasties and camp- fire feuding that is the one and only I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!
And, praise be, it’s back on our screens tonight for a timely blast of tropical heat from Down Under to warm up the dark nights of a grim northern hemisphere winter.
This year’s batch of contestants are dancer Jordan Banjo, exfootballer Wayne Bridge, comedian Joel Dommett, dancer Ola Jordan, actor Larry Lamb, TV star Scarlett Moffatt, Olympic hockey player Sam Quek, TV presenter and ex- model Lisa Snowdon, actor Adam Thomas and TV presenter Carol Vorderman.
Five of the contestants – Carol, Adam, Jordan, Joel and Ola – will be shown arriving at a luxury villa ahead of taking the plunge, but they might not like what’s on the menu.
No sooner do they get there than Ant and Dec tell them they will automatically be taking the Bushtucker Trial.
But the celebs are handed a lifeline – they can choose a contestant to represent them in a Saviour’s Challenge to try to save them from the dreaded task.
“Choose wisely,” Dec will tell them.
Ant will then tell the five stars they’ll be known as the “City Celebs”, while the other campmates will be dubbed the “Jungle Celebs”.
Carol, Joel, Ola, Jordan and Adam will all take part in a walkthe-plank challenge. A towering 334ft up on the roof of a Gold Coast hotel, they will walk a plank to save their partner.
Larry and Scarlett will be flown by helicopter to a clearing by a lake.
They will then learn they have to canoe into the jungle and paddle across the lake to a pontoon.
Olympic gold medal winner Sam, former Chelsea star Wayne Bridge and TV presenter Lisa
then have to sky- dive into the jungle camp. They arrive via helicopter to discover their challenge takes place at 10,000ft in the sky.
Lisa is first to jump. Screaming, she launches from the helicopter.
“That was terrific,” she says as she lands.
“It was a brilliant way to start this whole experience”.
Sam gets to the edge of the helicopter, screaming as she prepares for her tandem jump.
The show will also chronicle the contestants’ first night in the camp.
It is a tough start as a thunder and lightning storm hits the
surrounding area. The sky turns black and torrential rain interrupts filming as the Jungle celebs make their way in.
I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! starts tonight at 9pm on ITV. On ITV2 at 10.45pm,
there will also be a new companion show, I’m A Celebrity… Extra Camp, featuring all the behind-the-scenes gossip f ro m the show – hosted by Stacey Solomon, Chris Ramsey, Vicky Pattison and Joe Swash.