ITV's flagship reality show, I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, is facing an unprecedented crisis as viewing figures have plummeted to their lowest level since the programme first aired 23 years ago. The Ant and Dec-fronted series, once a stalwart of British television, has seen a dramatic exodus of viewers during its latest run from the Australian jungle.
Historic Low for a Television Giant
The scale of the problem became starkly clear with the Tuesday night edition of the show. Overnight ratings revealed that just 4.5 million viewers tuned in, representing a 32% audience share. This marks a catastrophic drop of one million viewers from the previous night's episode. The figure is a staggering 1.5 million lower than the equivalent episode over the last two years and signifies a 20% decline since the series launched on Sunday.
Viewers Voice Their Frustrations
Fans have not been silent about the reasons for switching off, with two major complaints emerging on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). A significant number of viewers argue that the 9 pm start time is too late for a family-friendly show. One user stated, "Half 8 would be perfect," a sentiment that was widely echoed by others who find the schedule inconvenient.
However, an even more potent grievance centres on the sheer volume of advertising breaks during the broadcast. This has led to a popular suggestion that would have been unthinkable in the past: move the programme to the BBC. Supporters of this idea believe that a switch to the ad-free broadcaster would drastically improve the viewing experience. "If the show was on BBC it would be better than the constant breaks every 5 secs," one fan wrote. Another commented, "It’s not the 9pm I have an issue with myself it’s all the adverts, move it to BBC one cut out the adverts and it’ll be over by 10pm."
New Arrivals Shake Up the Camp
Amid the ratings turmoil, the camp dynamics are set for a shake-up with the arrival of two new late entrants: Vogue Williams and Tom Read Wilson. Tom, the ultra-posh 39-year-old receptionist from Celebs Go Dating, has already confessed his terror at the challenges ahead, notably the absence of champagne. He also revealed his admiration for fellow camper, rapper Aitch, whom he praised for his lyrical skill, comparing it to modern poetry and even labelling him a "modern-day Shakespeare."
As the series continues, bookies currently have musician Aitch as the favourite to be crowned King of the Jungle, with comedian Ruby Wax also rising rapidly in the betting ranks after a strong start. Whether these new developments and campmates can stem the tide of falling viewers remains the biggest challenge facing the ITV production.
