November 15, 2020 - 1707 views
After a flying start which saw celebrities sky-high over Snowdonia in helicopters and a nail biting cliff abseil which made a campmate physically sick, I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here was back on ITV with a distinctly Welsh flavour.
The 20th series of the show returned in a different location this year due to Australia's Covid travel ban and North Walians were over-the-moon to discover that it was Gwrych Castle in Abergele that had been chosen from a long list of possible options.
As locals were glued to their televisions many were not aware of the scale of the production with an almost army like operation going on behind the scenes.
To complicate an already elaborate and technically challenging filming schedule, Covid-Secure procedures had to be put in place to make sure all of the production staff could work safely and with confidence.
Richard Cowles, ITV Studios Director of Entertainment said: “Everyone on the production team has worked incredibly hard to bring I’m A Celebrity to Wales and a massive part of making that possible has been developing our protocols around Covid.
"We have worked with ITV’s Independent Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Litchfield, ITV’s Health and Safety Department and our own health and safety and medical teams to keep everyone connected with the production, both in front of and behind the camera, as safe as possible.”
Dr Paul Litchfield said: “Those involved in I’m A Celebrity are used to working safely in extreme and difficult environments. The procedures and protocols developed aim to provide defence in depth against the coronavirus, applying industry best practice while always adhering to government and local guidelines.”
This year's celebrities are TV presenter Vernon Kay, broadcaster and journalist Victoria Derbyshire, star of stage and screen Shane Richie, Paralympic gold medallist Hollie Arnold MBE, Radio 1 DJ Jordan North, Corrie icon Beverley Callard, ballroom dancer AJ Pritchard, author and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher, Olympic legend Sir Mo Farah CBE and soap star Jessica Plummer.
Earlier this evening, five celebrities flew over Snowdonia in a helicopter, the celebrities saw each other and waved, they were Shane Richie, Beverley Callard, AJ Pritchard, Hollie Arnold and Sir Mo Farah.
In their individual helicopters, Bev joked “Snakes, spiders, creepy crawlies, rats, I don’t like enclosed spaces – why have I said yes to this show? Oh dear, I don’t mind ironing.”
AJ said “This is the one show I watched as a child and always wanted to do, this is a dream come true.”
Mo said “I don’t have any survival skills apart from running away from things you don’t like.”
They were dropped off at the bottom of a cliff and met each other for the first time where they noticed a chest containing a scroll, boots and a walkie talkie.
Beverley read a scroll out to the group that told them they had to collect their rucksacks which were hanging over the side of the cliff (they all looked up at the cliff) and they needed help from five other celebrities. Shane thought the other celebrities might be on the other end of the walkie talkie and tried to communicate…nobody answered.
MEET & GREET – JEEP CELEBS & ABSEIL REVEAL
Meanwhile the other five celebrities were driven by jeep to the top of the cliff, talking in their individual jeeps they said;
Vernon said “I’m scared of the unknown, not knowing what’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen.”
Jessica said “I can 100% be the biggest scaredy cat in there for sure – there’s always one every year and that could definitely be me.”
The five celebrities met each other for the first time, they were Vernon Kay, Jessica Plummer, Jordan North, Giovanna Fletcher and Victoria Derbyshire.
Jordan and Victoria gave each other a big hug as Jordan used to be her tea boy when he first started out in radio.
They also noticed a chest with a scroll, boots and a walkie talkie and then noticed abseil ropes over the side of the cliff face. Jordan read out the scroll to his fellow celebrities telling them that before they entered camp they had to retrieve all 10 rucksacks which were hanging over the edge of the cliff. They needed the help of the five other celebrities who would be responsible for lowering them down the cliff face.
Jess tried to use the walkie talkie and Shane answered, Victoria said hello to Shane and all the celebrities started introducing themselves to each other and then waved at each other from the top and bottom of the cliff.
The celebrities at the top of the cliff got dressed into their abseil equipment. Giovanna read out another scroll which told them each of the ruck sacks were padlocked to the cliff and to unlock them they had to answer questions about their fellow celebrities – any celebrity that failed to collect their ruck sack wouldn’t have it for the first night in camp.
Vernon joked “It’s going to be good, it’s exciting, one of us could die which makes great telly.”
Jordan was so nervous about the cliff drop that he was sick, later he said “I can’t believe I was sick, I’ve only been here 5 minutes and I’m pucking up already.”
Giovanna was the first celebrity to attempt the abseil with her partner Shane at the bottom of the crater and started to lower herself over the cliff but slipped, Jessica gasped.
ABSEIL CHALLENGE
Giovanna said she was o.k and continued her drop to her rucksack, she had questions about Mo and Vernon which she asked everyone, she inputted the numerical answers and they got it right first time. Giovanna struggled to bring the rucksack down as her arms were so weak but she eventually did it.
Vernon was next down the cliff with Beverley at the bottom helping him. Vernon got to his rucksack and had questions about Victoria and Hollie for his fellow campmates, they got the answers correct on the second attempt and Vernon joined the other celebrities at the bottom of the cliff.
Jordan felt the nerves as Victoria was next down the cliff with AJ at the bottom helping her. Victoria got to the rucksack and had questions about Jess and Beverley – they managed to open the padlock on their second attempt.
Jess was next down the cliff and Jordan said he would come to the edge to help her, Jess joked “Don’t be sick on my head”, Hollie was at the bottom of the cliff helping Jess. Jess had questions about Jordan and AJ when she reached her rucksack, they opened the padlock on first attempt and a victorious Jess joined her fellow celebrities at the bottom of the cliff.
Jordan was the final celebrity to abseil down the cliff, he struggled with the height as he lowered himself. He managed to reach the rucksack and had questions about Shane and Giovanna which everyone answered correctly the first time.
Everyone cheered as Jordan reached the bottom of the cliff.
CELEBS ENTER CASTLE
As the campmates explored their new home, the girls discovered the lookout, a bench perched high above the courtyard.
Giovanna, Jessica and Hollie sat on the seat and watched the remaining campmates. "Isn't this romantic?" said Giovanna. "These are the cosy moments" commented Hollie.
Jessica started to cry and Victoria rushed over to comfort her. Jessica explained that she was missing her daughter. "I said to my daughter before we left each other that if she misses me when she's at home, she looks for the moon, I can look at the moon and we can both see it."
"Let's have a cwtsh, the Welsh word for cuddle" suggested Victoria as all four women hugged each other.
Jessica soon cheered up and said "We're all in the same situation and we're all in it together and this is the experience of a lifetime and I want to make my family proud so they don't want to see me crying and upset."
Shane got onto a hammock and immediately fell out the other side. "Mo, we're doubling up" he joked.
And the washroom caused some consternation amongst the campmates. "I've never seen a more . .. basic is putting it nicely . . horrific bathroom" complained Jordan.
"The washroom. First of all its minging. It needs a really good clean. Well I'm sorry but no. My hair. I will look like I've had Donald Trump's hairdresser" complained Beverley.
ANT & DEC ARRIVE AND TRIAL REVEAL
Ant and Dec pulled up outside the castle in a huge Rolls Royce. They walked into camp to the delight of the campmates. "I can't tell you how excited we are to see you all here together finally. Welcome to the castle" said Dec.
"Welcome to the show. Things are going to be a bit different this year. There's no jungle obviously, there's no dunny, there's a privy and I can guarantee you there's absolutely no chance of sunbathing" added Ant.
Dec added, "Some things will stay exactly the same. Some things will be reassuringly familiar. So you will live on a diet of rice and beans and the fact that you'll win trials to win food for the camp and that first trial will take place tonight."
The Celebrities were apprehensive after they were told they'd be doing the first Trial together. "I can't imagine it being creepy crawlies on the first day" said Beverley optimistically.
TRIAL – GATES TO HELL
The ten celebrities were summoned to their first Trial - an epic and abrupt introduction to Castle life - The Gates To Hell. With the stunning castle as the backdrop, the Gates To Hell stood proud in the Welsh countryside. Behind the Gates were ten linked cages and each celebrity stood in a separate one.
The stars started in the first chamber and celebrities had to transport the stars along through the chambers either through mesh with their hands or with a magnet to the final gate. Any stars won would mean a meal for camp. But if any celebrity shouted I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! one meal would be deducted from the total.
Shane was in the first cage and passed stars to Jessica who passed to Giovanna, then Vernon, AJ, Hollie, Beverley, Jordan, Victoria and finally Mo.
The celebrities worked hard to manoeuvre the stars across their respective gates, whilst cockroaches, crickets, mealworms and maggots rained down on them. The stars backed up by Beverley who found it hard to manipulate the stars - but the celebrities all worked well as a team and they managed to move seven stars from one side to the other meaning seven meals for camp.
Relieved, Victoria said "First Trial done. Feel ecstatic that we got so many stars and that it's all over."
But Jordan said "That was absolutely horrific." "And I was the worse one" added Beverley before starting to scream and jump around saying she had a critter in her pocket. "Oh my god this is my worst nightmare. Listen darling, I've fallen in love with you if you've got rid of them" she told Jordan.
When they'd got back to camp, Beverly suggested that they went to one area to debug so they didn't have critters in their living quarters.
Beverley continued to be jumpy and Victoria offered to check her boobs when Beverly said she thought she could feel something crawling around her bra. "Magnificent breasts. What a cleavage" said Victoria. "Oh my God, they're pushed up beyond belief" replied Beverly.
DINNER AND LIGHTS OUT
The celebrities were on good form as they made themselves at home in the camp. Mo was telling the campmates that he enjoyed sweet things and said that he craved sticky toffee pudding when on cue, the dinner bell rang.
Victoria pulled up the dumb waiter which replaced the famous flying fox in the Australian jungle camp.
Vernon read out their menu – rabbit "I can't eat bunny" exclaimed Beverley. "When they said rabbit for dinner, I was like no, no not for me."
Hollie sensibly decided to fry the rabbit and the mushrooms and then add the rice and beans and the gourd.
Jessica couldn't eat the meat. "I had a pet rabbit when I was a kid called Boris and I just think of him" she explained.
Sir Mo revealed he kept his medals "in his mancave" prompting Vernon to say "It's really weird having people like Mo in camp just doing regular stuff. He's on such a pedestal, he's a sir, he' s a Knight of the Realm, he won all these gold medals."
"It was a happy vibe at the end of the day because we'd won some food, it tasted alright, although I'm not mad on rabbit" said Victoria.
Jordan said "To be honest, I'm that shattered. I'd sleep on a cobbled path and I'd still be able to get my head down.”
And AJ had a shower as Shane pumped the water for him.
To find out more tune into I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! Monday night at 9pm on ITV.
New episodes of I’m A Celebrity…The Daily Drop hosted by Vick Hope will be on the ITV Hub from 6am daily.
