We think of I’m A Celebrity as giving pampered stars the chance to really rough it in the wild for a few weeks – but we’re here to bust that myth for the 2023 series!
A look behind the scenes shows that, actually, the iconic jungle isn’t really a jungle at all. Do the campmates have it easier than we think?
Here’s all the evidence that suggests this might be the case…
There’s a secret roof to keep the I’m A Celebrity 2023 campmates dry
Yep, the camp has a secret roof. It’s used to help protect recording equipment, and to feed the campmates when their food arrives – the bag of food winds down the roof. Not the sky.
It doesn’t cover the campmates’ beds, so it’s not protecting them from the elements at all times, but it does mean that it provides cover in one part of the camp, if campmates do want a bit of shelter.
The crew empties the toilet
Many of us thought that the campmates themselves empty the toilet – or dunny – when they need to. However, Phil Tufnell, who won the second series in 2003, has revealed in his autobiography Tourist that this isn’t actually the case.
Instead, it’s the crew who do it. Phil explained: “A little secret here – the contestants remove the dunny, but they don’t actually empty it. They carry it down to a camouflaged wooden hut, tap on the door and clear off.
“It’s basically an extreme version of that old knock-and-run game, where you wrap a bit of dog muck in newspaper, set it on fire, drop it by someone’s front door, ring the bell and leg it.”
I’m A Celebrity 2023:The ‘jungle’ waterfall has an off switch
The waterfall on I’m A Celebrity is often seen, with campmates using it to cool off and clean up. However, it’s not a natural feature – it’s man-made.
It’s switched off between 3pm and 6pm each day to conserve water. And the lagoon below it is switched off too.
Animal-related trials aren’t as dangerous as they make out
This is perhaps understandable. After all, you’d think celebs would be less likely to take part if there was a higher risk of danger.
Many of the critters used in trials can’t bite or sting. Meanwhile, the bugs and insects used in trials are all bred by bug specialists and bought by the show. They aren’t all necessarily native to the area. Sweeps of the camp are done regularly to ensure that contestants are safe from potentially dangerous animals – one such sweep came up with a boa constrictor.
The local authority don’t define it as a jungle
If nothing else, the I’m A Celebrity 2023 jungle isn’t actually considered to be a jungle but the local authority managing it. Rather, Tweed Shire Council describes it as “lowland subtropical rainforest” – not a jungle.
And, it’s not totally in the middle of nowhere, either. The national park is around 100 miles south of Brisbane, one of the biggest cities in Australia. And, it’s only 50 miles away from the nearest town of Murwillumbah.
We’re still not sure we’d fancy it, though…
Read more: I’m A Celebrity 2023: Ant and Dec ‘in so much trouble’ days after Ofcom complaints
Leave a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix to let us know what you think of this story.