Ant and Dec share details of ‘brutal’ new I’m A Celebrity all-star series

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have revealed the upcoming I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! South Africa series is “quite brutal”.

The series, which is set to air on ITV1 later this year, will feature an all-star cast of celebrities who previously starred on the original version of the show.

Speaking on Lorraine, the Geordie presenting duo, both 47, shared details of the spin-off show, with Donnelly saying: “It’s kind of an all-stars… taking some of your favourite campmates from the last 20 years and taking them for a brand new challenge in South Africa.

“So it’s a completely different landscape and they’re doing it again. They’re competing to become the first ever I’m A Celebrity Legend of the Savanna. It’s very special.”

McPartlin continued: “And it’s slightly different to the show we do in Australia because they go head to head in trials and whoever loses leaves.

“It’s quite brutal, so that’s how we decided the winner.”

Donnelly confirmed that the show has already been filmed, adding: “We’ve done it, we’ve shot it and it’s really, really good.”

Recalling a funny experience during filming, McPartlin told Lorraine: “Do you know what though, there was loads of baboons when we filmed the series.

“There was baboons everywhere. Like we’d be in the middle of doing a trial and then you would just hear the noise, literally just behind the cameraman, and a whole family of baboons… is that what you call them? A group of baboons? A school of baboons? I don’t know. A babble of baboons would just sit watching the trial.”

To which Donnelly said: “They came along in the middle of the trial, they just came along and just sat there. That was the audience! Hopefully there will be a few more watching when it goes on telly.”

Ant joked: “We didn’t get any laughs from the baboons!”

The pair confirmed the rumours of an all-star series on social media in September last year.

In a video on Twitter shot against the backdrop of a vast lake and mountains, Donnelly said: “Hello everybody, we’ve got news for you.

“It’s probably the worst kept secret in television but we can confirm we are doing a very special series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in South Africa.”

He adds: “We’re here, it’s going to be your favourite celebrities from the last 20 years who are going back in to do it one more time in South Africa.”

Over the past two decades, I’m A Celebrity has featured an array of big names, including Caitlyn Jenner, Ian Wright, Peter Andre and Kerry Katona.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! South Africa follows the end of the 22nd series of the original format, which saw former England footballer Jill Scott crowned Queen of the Jungle in November 2022.

The Geordie presenting duo have hosted the show since its launch in 2002, with the exception of the 2018 series when McPartlin was temporarily replaced by Holly Willoughby.

Lorraine airs on weekdays at 9am on ITV1 and ITVX.