I’m a Celebrity is swapping the jungle for a castle – can it work?

For the show’s upcoming 20th season, it’s moving from the Australian outback to a Welsh castle. Emma Bullimore asks, could the pandemic provide the shake-up the show desperately needs?

The cast of I’m a Celebrity 2020 (Rex Features)

Last night’s I’m A Celebrity launch show was an exercise in stomach-churning nostalgia, as we relived two decades of jungle romances, arguments by the dunny and Z listers chomping on animal nasties.

Luckily, series 20 starts this weekend. But with the show moving from the Australian jungle to a Welsh castle, there’s an air of trepidation about this year’s show. Will it be met with the same affection as Strictly 2020, or will the change of location prove too strange? And with contestant AJ Pritchard already testing positive for coronavirus, is the show even viable?

Television formats are fragile things. Change can be ill-advised. I’m thinking of those terrible “day trip” episodes of Corrie, where Gail and Norris randomly board a plane to Tenerife. Strictly has largely survived because it won’t entertain any major format disruptions, while the Six Chair Challenge was the beginning of the end for The X Factor. But I’m A Celeb has already thrived on one huge, unwanted twist.

In 2018, for well-publicised reasons, Ant was forced to pass presenting duties to Holly Willoughby. The nation panicked. The consensus was that “the boys” elevated the show with their cheeky chappy routine, laughing infectiously as celebs suffered. But to everyone’s surprise, a strong cast, led by jam roly poly-lover Harry Redknapp, earned series 18 its highest ratings of all time. It became crystal clear that nobody was bigger than the show.

And last year, when everything went back to normal, a conflict-free camp struggled to create any headlines or intrigue. Caitlyn Jenner was a high-profile signing, but the rest of that lacklustre series was highly forgettable. I bet you’re even struggling to remember who won (it was EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa).

So perhaps it’s the line-up that matters more than anything else. This year’s batch of celebs shouldn’t disappoint. Victoria Derbyshire is used to stoking debates; Mo Farah’s trials will make thrilling viewing (can you imagine if a man who endures endless marathons turns out to be terrified of spiders?); and Shane Richie and Ruthie Henshall can’t help but entertain. Throw in a few nights of rice and beans, plus some big egos, and sparks should fly.

Then there’s the location itself. Yes, there’s something iconic about the campfire setting, Dingo Dollar Challenges with Kiosk Keith and a sunny Aussie backdrop in November. But an imposing Welsh castle, in the freezing British winter, with a few ghosts lurking in the corridors? That sounds like an exciting refresher to me, and one that could make the celebs jumpy and very tetchy (a recipe for excellent telly).

Of course, the Bush Tucker trials rely heavily on the Australian jungle theme, too. Ant and Dec reckon these nightmarish challenges are the audience’s favourite bit, but I’m not so sure. We’ve witnessed 381 of these trials by now, and I’m not convinced we’re still captivated by retired footballers biting into fish eyeballs. You don’t have to be a member of Peta to wince at actors beheading witchetty grubs with their teeth.

ITV’s trip down memory lane reminded us how far the show has come since its early days (and how prudent it was for Ant and Dec to invest in a stylist). It also proved that it’s the celebrities who provide the memorable moments, whether it was Gillian McKeith fainting, Iain Lee stealing his campmates’ strawberries or Katie Price falling for Peter Andre. The bickering won’t stop just because they’re spared the jetlag.

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As new campmate Vernon Kay so neatly put it, “It doesn’t matter where the show is, it’s going to be horrendous.” And an unpleasant experience for him means first-class entertainment for us. That’s just how it works.

I don’t care if they’re hanging out in a castle, the return of one of Britain’s best-loved shows in the depths of Lockdown 2 can only be cause for celebration. And the fact that they’ve secured a promising line-up, and brought the show to our screens in the most challenging of circumstances, makes me confident it will be a roaring success.

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here starts on Sunday at 9pm on ITV1