I’m A Celebrity bosses want to book Gwrych Castle for 2022 in case Covid kills plans to go back to Australia
I’M A Celebrity bosses want to book Gwrych Castle for a third year as a back up plan if the global Covid crisis bars them from returning to Australia in 2022.
ITV are committed to taking the show back to Oz after they go back to North Wales for a second time with the upcoming series, airing in November.
But vigilant producers want to have Gwrych, near the town of Abergele, as an option if the situation abroad worsen over the next 12 months.
A TV insider said: “This time last year, the prospect of I’m A Celebrity not returning to Australia and having to return to the castle seemed slim.
“Now the show is going back to Gwrych after ITV had the foresight to reserve is for a second series - and they want to make sure they’re equally prepared for the worst in 2022.
“Going back to Oz is still the goal. But this is about bosses taking every step possible to ensure Britain’s favourite TV show stays on our screens. So they’re likely to approach the castle owners imminently.”
In spring of this year it looked like I’m A Celebrity would be able to film in Australia just as it had from its launch in 2002 up to 2019.
But there were ongoing Covid issues around the world which could have seen borders close Down Under.
So by the summer, they decided that the safer option would be to stay in Britain.
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It certainly didn’t harm the ratings. The first show of the last series, won by Giovanna Fletcher, 35, had 14.3million viewers tuning in. It ended up being I’m A Celebrity’s second most watched series.
This year’s show is expected to star former EastEnders actor Jake Wood and ex-BBC Breakfast host, Louise Minchin.
ITV declined to comment.