Devoted fans of ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! are expressing their confusion and disappointment after a favourite segment of the long-running show has all but vanished from the current season.
Where Have The Dingo Dollars Gone?
Viewers have taken to social media in droves, questioning the notable absence of the nightly Dingo Dollar Challenges. These challenges, a staple for many series, offered celebrities a chance to win extra treats for the camp and were famously hosted by the popular Kiosk Kev.
Aside from a single appearance in the first episode and a brief return on Monday night's show, the challenges have been conspicuously missing for most of the series. This has not gone unnoticed by the show's dedicated audience, who have been quick to voice their concerns online.
One perplexed viewer directly asked: 'Why are there barely any Dingo Dollar Challenges? Used to enjoy watching them.' This sentiment was echoed by many others, with comments like 'Right!' and 'Yes what's happened to them they were good fun' piling up across platforms.
Fan Backlash and Speculation
The online conversation has been dominated by calls for more screen time for Kiosk Kev. One fan pointed out the stark statistics, writing: 'Just one dingo dollar challenge in 8 episodes now. Give us more Kiosk Kev #ImACeleb.'
Other tweets joined the chorus, with messages such as 'Also, what's happened to the Dingo Dollar challenges? Free Kiosk Kev! #imaceleb' and '#imaceleb Not enough Kiosk Kev challenges and no-one's been buried yet. It's a monumental bore-fest this year.'
Some viewers have begun to speculate on the reasons behind the segment's disappearance. One theory suggested that the camp's consistent failure to win the challenges might have made them unfit for broadcast, while another quipped that budget cuts could be to blame.
While the traditional Dingo Dollar Challenges have been scarce, the series has introduced some alternatives. In the second episode, Martin Kemp and Kelly Brook tackled a new task called the Dingo Balls Challenge. This involved answering questions by placing the correct number of balls into a shoot, a challenge that almost buried Kelly in the process.
The campmates have also been tested by a camp-based phone call, successfully winning chocolate by correctly identifying that Spandau Ballet had more UK top 40 singles than Kelly had movie roles.
A Silver Lining: The Return of Live Trials
Despite the missing Dingo Dollars, the show is set to bring back another fan-favourite element after a six-year hiatus: the live trial. The last Australia-based live trial aired in 2019, and its return is highly anticipated.
This year's live challenge, named 'Cocktails of Cruelty', is a head-to-head drinking contest where celebrities select 'delicious' jungle ingredients for their opponent to consume. The first to finish their drink wins.
Live trials are infamous for creating iconic television moments, most notably when Gillian McKeith fainted live on air during the 2010 event. Reflecting on the incident in 2022, McKeith explained she had a history of fainting and hadn't felt well that day, but felt obligated to participate.
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! continues nightly on ITV1 and ITVX.
