The twenty-fifth series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! launches with immediate high-stakes drama, throwing its famous contestants straight into a terrifying race against time.
Celebrity Arrivals and Immediate Tensions
The action commenced at a stunning luxury villa where the first five celebrities gathered. Comedy legend Ruby Wax, 72, made a glamorous entrance, followed closely by Emmerdale favourite Lisa Riley, 49. They were soon joined by content creator Angry Ginge, 24 (real name Morgan Burtwistle), sports broadcaster Alex Scott, 41, and TV personality Jack Osbourne, 40.
The group's dynamic was instantly tested when Ruby Wax humorously instructed Angry Ginge to move as he was blocking her camera angle, leaving the other campmates in stitches.
The Gruelling Getaway Car Challenge
Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly soon arrived, revealing the celebrities would be competing for the two remaining seats in the coveted Getaway car. Once settled on poolside loungers, the stars were presented with two ominous-looking boxes.
Ant and Dec explained the brutal task: contestants must place their hands into a box teeming with green ants to unscrew bolts and release the Getaway key fob. The challenge intensified as they were also required to place their heads inside the boxes, completely blind to their surroundings.
To maximise the fear factor, rangers dropped snakes into the head boxes as the challenge progressed, forcing the celebrities to hold their nerve under extreme pressure. The question remains: who will successfully retrieve the key fob and secure their escape, and who will face the dreaded Cockie Van?
Stormy Start in the Jungle Camp
Meanwhile, the main I'm A Celeb jungle camp was rocked by a huge thunderstorm, forcing contestants to endure a soaking wet first night. The camp, which features a stream running through it, is notoriously vulnerable to bad weather and often floods during heavy rain.
This presents a serious concern for ITV producers, who have been desperately hoping for a dry year after the 2023 series saw two contestants, Jamie Lynn Spears and Grace Dent, walk out due to relentless rain and low morale. Although no one left last year, the camp experienced the worst rainfall in the show's 22-year history.
A camp insider revealed: 'The jungle camp cannot cope with this level of rain, and the thing is, when it rains like this, it's not fun for anyone involved. In fact, it's miserable. It dampens the mood and ultimately ruins the show.'
I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! begins its milestone twenty-fifth series on Sunday, November 16 at 9pm on ITV1, STV, and ITVX.
