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I’m A Celebrity stars secretly run through trials BEFORE we see them on TV
I’M A Celebrity contestants receive secret run-throughs of castle trials before they are filmed.
The revelation will stun viewers who think stars are facing fresh fears.
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Celebs are coached to ensure they understand the “mechanics” of their bug-laced tasks at Gwrych Castle, North Wales.
An insider said: “It does remove some element of jeopardy.”
ITV insiders say they are done for health and safety — and entertainment — reasons.
But the disclosure sparked anger last night.
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Former contestant Kim Woodburn blasted the move to show celebs the “mechanics” of their trials at Gwrych Castle.
TV personality Kim, 78 — who came second in 2009 — said: “If this is true, this isn’t the jungle — it’s an absolute farce. It’s a cheat. I am truly appalled and disappointed as it truly is a great programme.”
A castle source said: “The average viewer would assume that a celebrity walks from camp and goes straight into the trial without any heads up.
“In reality, they are told what they need to do, and in many cases shown how to do it and allowed to try and do it.
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“It does remove some element of jeopardy, the idea that they know exactly how to escape, or unpick a lock, or release a bolt, before the cameras even start rolling.”
Sources close to ITV insist if they did not allow stars — such as Sir Mo Farah, Vernon Kay, Beverley Callard and Giovanna Fletcher — a test of specific parts of trials it would make for rubbish telly.
The insider added: “Endless trials all resulting in celebrities getting stuck on intricacies such as locks and keys would make people switch off.
“They don’t get a warm-up, per se, but are told and shown what they need to do to wriggle out of specific parts of trials.
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“They are told what the rules are, what to expect, and ultimately how to beat it.
“Viewers would much rather see contestants succeeding than failing on a technicality.”
Contestants were, for example, taught how to unlock their chains in the fish gut dropping Bar-baric challenge.
Campmates voiced concerns that Paralympian Hollie Arnold would not be able to complete an intricate part of the task.
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But after being shown how to tackle it by producers, Hollie, 26, agreed she would be able to bag meals for camp. The javelin champ played her part in winning ten stars out of a possible 12.
Producers say they always offer the celebrities in question the chance to ask any specific questions and test any “intricacies” ahead of each attempt.
It flies in the face of what viewers see on telly, where terrified stars such as Jordan North, 30, look like they are thrown in at the deep end.
Out of 88 stars up for grabs so far, excluding live trials, the campmates have bagged 73.
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A source added: “Half the battle in the jungle is food deprivation, but there’s no chance of that this year.
“While the food they’re getting might not be very pleasant, they’re getting plenty of it.”
The show was moved from the Australian jungle to North Wales because of the pandemic.
The trials revelation comes after we told how former winners Vicky Pattison and Scarlett Moffatt claimed this year’s series was too soft.
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The jungle queens reckon they faced more extreme hardships than the castle celebs.
Geordie Shore star Vicky, 33, said past campmates would be thinking “they have got it easier than us”. Gogglebox legend Scarlett, 30, said: “I got so angry that they got hot water.”
Dancer AJ Pritchard, 26, and EastEnders actress Jessica Plummer, 28, collected six out of 12 stars in last night’s trial called The Harmoury.
They had to work their way through pitch black rooms and tunnels.
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An ITV spokesman said: “Contestants are told the instructions of a trial and producers ensure that they understand what is required of them in line with our health and safety procedures.
"Any suggestion of run-throughs or practising is incorrect.”
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