Storm-hit I’m A Celebrity will not return to screens until Tuesday, ITV says

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! will not return to TV screens until Tuesday night after extreme weather conditions caused production difficulties at Gwrych Castle.

ITV confirmed the flagship programme was cancelled for a third night in a row while the production team works to repair significant damage caused by Storm Arwen.

Instead, it will air an episode of DNA Journey featuring Freddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp from 9pm on Monday to fill the slot.

The broadcaster said in a statement: “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! will return from tomorrow night (Tuesday November 30) on ITV and ITV Hub with a brand new show.

“Ant & Dec will be back presenting live from the castle.”

Tuesday’s episode will feature a live public vote over who will face the next trial, with the result revealed at the end of the programme.

ITV has not yet confirmed when the first contestant will be voted off the show.

On Monday, Ant and Dec posted an update on Twitter, saying they had “great news” and that the production team had been “working round the clock, 24/7” so the show can start broadcasting again, and confirmed it will return on Tuesday at 9pm.

The presenting duo announced the news by sharing a video of them with a toy castle and characters and joked that they no longer had to pretend the children’s figurines were the celebrity contestants.

After pretending to talk to the toy figures, Ant McPartlin said: “We don’t have to do that anymore, because we’re back.”

Declan Donnelly added: “Thank goodness, we’re back. We’ll see you tomorrow night, it’s Tuesday at 9 o’clock, for a brand new episode of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here. See you on the telly!”

It comes after TV presenter Matthew Wright, who appeared on the ITV series in 2013, claimed extreme weather conditions had “basically destroyed the production”.

Appearing on This Morning, he said: “I don’t know how much the viewers can imagine this but it’s like, if you were, a sort of Glastonbury Festival.

“It’s a huge village that’s under canvas, where the editors are and so everything is filmed. Dozens of cameras. All of it has to be edited, whittled down and turned into a programme.”

As images of the damaged site appeared on screen, Wright added: “At the moment, as you can see, no one can work under those conditions because they are really dangerous.”

Despite the contestants leaving the castle while repairs were carried out, their coronavirus quarantine conditions were maintained.

Richard Madeley had to leave the show last week after he was taken to hospital as a precaution when he fell ill, breaking the Covid-secure bubble of the production.

ITV also confirmed an intruder was removed from the set after a security breach at the castle earlier in the week.