ITV’s crew and cranes working hard to finish I’m A Celebrity set in Wales before celebs arrive to new camp
ITV crew are working round the clock to get the I'm A Celebrity set finished before the stars arrive at the new camp.
Scaffolding and cranes were seen erected at Gwrych Castle near Abergele in North Wales as workers scramble to get everything done.
The upcoming series will take place in Wales instead of Australia after lockdown restrictions made planning the show in its usual Australian location almost impossible — with internal borders closed Down Under.
The "haunted" castle was closed to the public last week and will not open again until after filming has finished.
It was once considered to be highly dangerous with the local council issuing a warning to residents to stay away when the building started to crumble.
The building has undergone extensive maintenance work in recent years to make it safe after it fell into a state of disrepair.
It had been a public attraction up until the late 1980s but the buildings assets were later stripped out and the castle became subject to vandalism and looting.
In the early 1990s officials warned residents to stay away after emergency services were called to the grounds following an incident.
A passer-by reported hearing the sound of falling masonry and screaming children.
ITV are understood to have paid £1million to use the castle for six weeks — with blueprints detailing the damage in the stone walls and towers.
Celebrities such as Tiger King star Carole Baskin, 59, Family Fortunes’ host Vernon Kay, 46, and former Strictly pro AJ Pritchard, 25, are all tipped to brave freezing winter temperatures to be crowned King or Queen of the castle.
The show, won last year by Jacqueline Jossa, will lose its Australian themes, including the Dingo Dollar challenge.
They will be forced to chow down on sheep’s balls instead of kangaroo testicles.
As well as living in the crumbling relic, the campmates could also be visited by a ghost rumoured to haunt the castle.
The eerie ruins are said to be stalked by the spectre of previous owner, the Countess of Dundonald.
There isn't an official start date yet.
However, I'm A Celebrity normally begins around mid-November and lasts for 22 days, concluding around the first week of December.