I'm A Celebrity All Stars Launch Features Brutal Trial Twist and Cast Tensions
The highly-anticipated launch of I'm A Celebrity All Stars on Monday delivered a dramatic start, as legends were pitted against each other in a brutal trial twist before even reaching camp. Hosted by the Geordie duo Ant and Dec, both 50, this spin-off series, filmed in the Kruger National Park in South Africa, brings back famous faces from the original show to compete for the title of jungle legend once again.
All-Star Lineup and Initial Challenges
This year's lineup includes fan favourites such as Adam Thomas, Ashley Roberts, Scarlett Moffatt, David Haye, Beverley Callard, Seann Walsh, Sinitta, Sir Mo Farah, Gemma Collins, Craig Charles, Jimmy Bullard, and Harry Redknapp. In the episode's opening, Adam and Ashley were appointed team captains, leading their teams into a series of head-to-head challenges.
The first challenge, Tipped over the Edge, required stars to collect puzzle pieces from a cliff's ledge while strapped back to back. As they neared the edge, the platform tilted dramatically, throwing them off balance. Ant joked with Mo Farah, saying, 'You can't be tired?! Endurance is your middle name!' to which Dec humorously replied, 'I don't think it is!' Mo exclaimed, 'Oh my gosh,' as Ant warned, 'That's tipping, that's tipping, that's tipping!'
Further Trials and Camp Twist
Scarlett and David then tackled Unlucky Lodges, searching high and low for keys in a lodge. Scarlett narrowly avoided green slime but got soaked by brown liquid from a fridge, shouting, 'What are you throwing at me man?! I've just washed my hair!' Next, Seann and Sinitta faced Level Up, attempting to grab stars 140ft above ground. Seann, clearly petrified, muttered, 'Oh God,' while Sinitta crashed to the floor, prompting Dec to gasp, 'Sinitta is down!' Seann wobbled, saying, 'I don't know how I am going to do this,' but encouragement from campmates urged him on.
A brutal twist saw one person from each losing team banished to the basic camp Savannah Scrub. The episode ended with celebrities lost for words as two more joined them in camp. Gemma Collins remarked, 'This is a far cry from Essex, I'm ready for you,' and Craig Charles confessed, 'I can't believe I'm back after 11 years.'
Behind-the-Scenes Feud and Tensions
Amid the on-screen drama, reports have surfaced of a feud between Gemma Collins and Sinitta, adding to the pre-launch tension. According to sources, Gemma accused Sinitta of being a 'rat' in the show's WhatsApp group and leaking stories to the press. Sinitta hit back, telling The Sun, 'I've been accused of being the rat who's been selling the WhatsApp stories... the only rat amongst us were those in the jungle.' She added, 'Gemma might be suffering a little hallucinogenically from all the, er, animal scrotums.'
A source close to Sinitta claimed she was 'dumbfounded and incredibly upset' by the unproven accusation, leading to tension within the cast as others feared being targeted next. Gemma, who famously quit the original show after 72 hours in 2014, and Sinitta, who entered the jungle in 2011, have a history that adds depth to the conflict.
The spin-off show, which premiered its first season in 2023, returns to screens on April 6 on ITV1 at 9pm and is available to stream on ITVX, promising more high-stakes trials and interpersonal drama as the all-stars vie for the jungle crown.
