‘THE GAMBLER’
I’m A Celebrity kicks off with ‘best episode yet’ as viewers are wowed by the hot new line-up, terrifying challenges and Ant and Dec reunion
THE new series of I'm A Celebrity kicked off in style tonight with fans calling it the "best episode yet".
Viewers were treated to a hot new line-up, terrifying challenges - and an Ant and Dec reunion.
9
The show started with Declan Donnelly making a joke about Ant McPartlin's recent rehab stint, introducing him as Holly Willoughby, who had previously been tipped to replace him.
They then hugged in an emotional moment as Ant declared there was never any chance that he wasn't going to do the show.
Later in the show, Dec made a cheeky joke about his pal's recent recovery in Los Angeles - needling him about where he spent his summer.
The new line-up was introduced and they were seen mingling at a luxury villa on the Gold Coast.
9
Declan Donnelly cracks gag about Ant McPartlin on his return to I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here after rehab stint
Boris Johnson's dad Stanley Johnson had no idea who Jamie Lomas was and mistook him for a footballer.
Jamie explained: "I'm not a footballer, I'm an actor."
Stanley then revealed he had seen Jamie's show Hollyoaks as he accidentally tuned in when the Channel 4 News was about to start.
Ant and Dec then arrived to pair the stars up for their foray into the jungle.
9
Jamie Lomas was teamed with his ex-wife Kym Marsh's pal Jennie McAlpine.
Jack Maynard was paired with Georgia Toffolo and Shappi Khorsandi got Stanley Johnson.
Rebekah Vardy and Dennis Wise were put together, leaving Vanessa White all on her own.
Jamie Lomas teamed with ex Kym Marsh's pal Jennie McAlpine on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
The hosts teased her and said she would be flying solo until her celebrity partner was revealed as boxer Amir Khan.
They had to take part in a challenge on the way to camp to win their first meal rations.
Some of the stars had to walk the plank off a skyscraper on the Gold Coast.
I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! contestants face the Walk The Plank challenge
Jamie and Jennie , and Vanessa and Amir and Georgia and Jack all took part.
The Hollyoaks star had a little wobble and Vanessa freaked out, but they all brought home the bacon.
Dennis Wise and Shappi had to skydive and land in a lake before swimming to a beacon and setting off a flare.
Rebekah screamed in terror as she faced her "worst nightmare" by putting her hand into a box of rats.
The WAG was left squirming as she faced the hell hole challenge.
9
Jamie and Jennie were part of the group that had to take part in the walk the plank challenge for their first task.
They had to cross a board suspended high in the air from a Gold Coast hotel.
Jamie had a little wobble as he walked the plank but succeeded in making it to the other side, and so did Jennie.
They both won the group meal tickets on their first task.
Rebekah Vardy and Stanley Johnson face 'hell hole' task on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here
9
9
The pair were dropped into the jungle and they landed at the Wretched Wreck.
They were faced with an upturned boat which had four "hell holes" carved into its hull.
The pair had to reach inside and retrieve coloured tokens - but the catch was that the holes were filled with nasties.
9
Rebekah called the task her "worst nightmare" and insisted she would be terrified if she had to touch a spider.
She said: "My worse nightmare putting my hand into that hell hole now would be a massive spider...
"I’m literally s*****g myself...
"This is my worse nightmare."
9
After the challenges, it emerged that Stanley got his flare wrong and cost them a ration portion.
Shappi, who was teamed with Dennis Wise, also suffered a failure at the end of her skydiving task and they were another token down.
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here stars divided as some get meal tickets and others left with basic rations
It left them with just four meal tokens, so they had to decide who got them.
Stanley tried to insist he be put on basic rations as his mistake had cost them a meal ticket, but ended up bickering with the others who insisted he should a proper meal because he is the eldest at 77.
9
They eventually agreed that the meal tickets should go to Vanessa, Jennie, Georgia and Rebekah.
The girls then went off to Snake Rock have a meal of cooked kangaroo meat.
The show ended with Amir and Georgia being picked for the series' first Bushtucker trial.
Fans voted for the pair to take part in a task called "creature rescue" and they were both stunned to have been nominated.
There were not jungle showers in this episode - but there are plenty of saucy scenes to come.
Fans loved the first show and were full of praise for the new line-up, with Stanley winning over a new legion of fans.
Other hailed the first episode as the "best ever"
One wrote: "This lineup is the best ever #Imaceleb."
Another tweeted: " OMFG gonna be the best series ever ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️."
One wrote: "#ImACeleb it’s back and I’m so excited highlight of my year after love island."
Another added: "Stanley Johnson is hilarious #ImACeleb."
A third wrote: "I am welling up already! In love with Stanley Johnson #ImACeleb @imacelebrity."
Most read in TV & Showbiz
Topics