Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

I’m a Celebrity premiere viewing figures announced as show returns to ITV

Debut episode peaked at peaked with 7.3 million viewers, ITV’s highest overnight audience of the year

Ruby Wax struggles with snakes in first I'm a Celeb challenge

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! returned to ITV with an average audience of 6.6 million viewers.

The channel’s flagship entertainment show, which launched with a 90-minute episode on Sunday night, peaked with 7.3 million viewers

The episode was ITV’s highest overnight audience of 2025, the broadcaster said.

The ITV1 show, filmed in Australia, began with five of the celebrities flying over a beach in a helicopter.

Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, model Kelly Brook, rapper Aitch, comedian Eddie Kadi and former EastEnders star Shona McGarty were all seen skydiving out of the helicopter.

The five celebrities were then made to enter a wooden structure and wade through offal and slime to find a key fob that would gain them access to a getaway car taking them to camp.

Aitch, real name Harrison Armstrong, and Kadi won the challenge and got in the car where they were met with cocktails.

The three other celebrities entered the Cockie van, which had a giant beetle structure on top of it.

The 2025 I’m a Celebrity line-up
The 2025 I’m a Celebrity line-up (ITV)

The five other campmates – comedian Ruby Wax, social media star Morgan Burtwistle, known as Angry Ginge, soap star Lisa Riley, TV presenter Jack Osbourne and sports broadcaster Alex Scott – missed out on skydiving and arrived at a luxury villa before battling it out for a seat in the getaway car.

The celebrities had their heads placed inside boxes filled with snakes and were asked to put their hand in a box of green ants to unscrew bolts and release the fob for the car.

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day

New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.

Try for free

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day

New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.

Try for free

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Wax and Burtwistle will be the first celebrities to face an eating challenge on the show.

Wax is already a stand-out contestant, with much hilarity over her struggle with snakes in the debut episode, her teasing of Angry Ginge, and her anecdote about interviewing Donald Trump and getting booted off his plane.

Hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly told campmates the bushtucker trial will take place at “revolting restaurant” The Divey.

However, viewers were left frustrated during the new series’ launch after an app error left many unable to cast their votes. Viewers were asked to download it in order to cast their votes for who will participate in the first Bushtucker trial of the series but many claimed they were unable to vote.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! airs daily at 9pm on ITV1.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in