I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here Returns!

Lat night signalled the return of one of my favourite annual shows - I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! This series is based in Wales for the second-year running, and last nights' first episode of the 2021 series saw celebs such as Frankie Bridge and David Ginola entering the castle.

Having watched I'm a Celebrity since 2009, the new series' settings have felt like a massive change! Set in Wales, it possibly doesn't feel as glamorous and instead a bit more relatable. Despite this, I do miss the usual Australian Outback setting. I think watching the celebs in thirty degree heat, while we're watching at home in November and December with a hot chocolate and blanket, is quintessential to the shows' appeal. Of course, over time it's built up its reputation and so it's been able to maintain its audience as it travels over to Wales. Luckily for us, the trails and arguments haven't changed at all.

This year's celebrities range from Olympic and Paralympic gold medal winners to Grammy award winners and TV presenters. Each year I find that most people complain about not knowing the celebrities going on to the show - this year was no exception! Personally, I'll often know roughly half of the contestants before they go into the camps, but by the end everyone is familiar with all the celebrity faces. This year, Richard Madeley is who I am most looking forward to seeing in the castle - he's constantly on my social media news feeds for things he's said live on air. After watching the first episode, Louise Minchin really impressed me too - she completed the trials with ease and seemed to be very entertaining.

This year's first episode did take a hit on the ratings, though - it had its smallest audience since 2015 for a first episode. Personally, I think this could partly be contributed to yet another series in Wales. As I mentioned before, the Australian setting provides a bit of escapism from the cold of the winter. Not only that, but the jungle setting is synonymous with the show and its success, so the change to a gloomy old castle makes quite a difference. Last year, because it was the first season to be broadcast from the castle instead of the jungle, people tuned in to witness the change for themselves and build up an opinion on it. Instead, this year, people know what to expect and have, evidently, opted to not tune in. I'm confident, however, that once the show returns to the jungle, that ratings will be back on the up.

Essentially, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is one of my favourite shows of all time. Being a TV runner, getting the chance to work on this show would be my ultimate dream - whether that's as a runner or possibly even higher further in the future!