I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! bosses brace for ‘toughest’ year with jungle python infestation

For years it was a show that prompted debate among viewers with controversial figures such as Nigel Farage and Matt Hancock as star signings.

But last year I’m A Celebrity went for a more tame line-up such as Coleen Rooney and McFly frontman, Danny Jones, as the most famous faces after a strict ‘no politician’ rule was implemented.

It was, as a result, a year that passed with little to no drama.

But now, in what is set to be the ‘toughest’ year yet, ITV bosses have introduced new measures to ensure celebrities ‘fight more’, ‘earn their keep’ and ‘don’t sit back in the shadows’.

It can be revealed the ‘luxury item’ feature, in which loved ones send them home comforts such as pillows with their family’s faces on, has been removed so celebrities are ‘kept on their toes’.

Instead, celebrities can earn a framed picture of someone of their choice, which can be earned during a challenge.

The show’s executive producer, Olly Nash, told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s a tough and gruelling show, and there’s nothing wrong with driving that home.

‘We need to see more celebrities earning their keep, that’s the most important thing.

‘We have more celebrities taking part in the trials than we ever have before, so it’s more of a competition.

‘Last year, we had a great positive happy cast that all joined together and had a happy time. ‘This year they are going to have to fight more, earn more and play a bigger part in camp.

‘No longer can they be just sitting on the beds in the back, they are going to have to step up to the challenge and face the music.

‘And there are a few celebrities in this year’s camp that are sure to get niggled if they’re hangry or sleep deprived.’ 

This year a new feature referred to as the Getaway Car has been introduced at the launch show. 

The first 10 celebrities are split into two groups, the first two in each group to complete a series of challenges including wading through fish guts are rewarded with a seat in the Getaway Car with a glass of fizz that will take them into camp. 

They are then greeted by more comfortable beds in the camp with mattresses. 

Meanwhile, the remaining three from each group travel in a less desirable vehicle, referred to as the ‘Coco van.’

Pythons are said to have infested the I’m A Celebrity jungle as producers admit they have seen ‘more snakes than any other year in camp than any other year in the show,’ said Mr Nash.

He added: ‘I have seen more snakes in this build phase then I ever have done before, huge great pythons almost as long as this log. 

‘I have seen loads of snakes, six or seven out just in the last two weeks and that’s when there have been people here, which is rare because usually they scatter when people are building the camp.’ 

It comes after the Mail revealed a new rule, introduced after 25 years of the same format, that if a celebrity has been put forward for two trials in a row, they are exempt from the following public vote.

Fans are happy about this shake-up after the situation got out of control last year when Dean McCullough was voted for seven Bushtucker Trials in a row.

Sharing their thoughts on X, formerly Twitter, at the time viewers called for a ‘trial limit’ as it was ‘not funny seeing Dean do another trial, too much airtime, give others a chance, it’s killing the show.’

Bosses at the network have complied and now all the celebrities will have a chance to take part in the trials, earn stars for the camp and, in turn, win the public’s vote – but bosses are going to make it harder when it comes to day-to-day life in the camp.

For example, if a contestant wants a bath, two campmates have to cycle on a tandem bike to pump water out and there is less room for contestants to ‘sink into the shadows’.