Deep in the heart of the Australian jungle, a chilling nightmare is unfolding just days before the stars of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! step into their temporary hell. Seven massive pythons—each stretching up to a jaw-dropping 10 feet—have been spotted slithering menacingly close to the camp in New South Wales. These serpentine beasts are lurking mere yards from where celebrities like model Kelly Brook and actor Martin Kemp will soon be attempting to catch some shut-eye, turning the iconic reality show into a real-life horror story.
During an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour yesterday, executive producer Olly Nash spilled the spine-tingling details to The Sun. “I’ve seen more snakes during this build phase than I ever have before,” he confessed. “Huge, great big pythons. I’ve counted seven just in the last two weeks—and that’s with a swarm of crew members bustling around, which usually scares them off.”
Ball python on a branch.
‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’ TV show, Series 23, Jungle Tour, Australia – 15 Nov 2023
But here’s the real terror: once the camp quiets down to just 10 or 12 celebrities, the snakes will emerge from the shadows. “As soon as it reduces down to ten or 12 people in here, the snakes will come in,” Nash warned. “There’s more likely to be snakes than anything else.” The jungle’s deadly residents are poised to strike, ready to send screams echoing through the trees.
And snakes aren’t the only horrors awaiting the campmates. The wild is teeming with creepy crawlies that bite, suck, and torment. “There’s always bugs; you’re always going to get bitten,” Nash added. “We’ve had a number of people who just walk around and get leeched. I got a tick last week on my tummy, but managed to pull it off. Ticks and leeches are always ever-present—you just have to be unlucky if you’re sitting on the wrong log at the wrong time, or you lean against a leaf. Especially if it’s damp, that’s when it’s worse.”
As the 25th series gears up for its most intense run yet, ITV bosses are shaking things up to amp up the drama and fairness. New Bushtucker Trial rules mean celebrities can only face two trials in a row before being exempt from a third public vote—designed to prevent contestants from being relentlessly “ganged up on,” as some have endured up to seven grueling challenges consecutively in past seasons.
The action kicks off with a high-stakes showdown: Four celebs will compete for a luxurious “getaway car” ride to camp, complete with comfy beds for the winners. The losers? They’ll be hauled in via a rusty, roach-riddled contraption dubbed the “cocko-van”—a fittingly gross entry into jungle misery.
Midway through the series, expect an epic “big all-in competition” to push rivalries to the brink, making this anniversary edition the most cutthroat yet. To crank up the hardship, campmates are stripped of luxury items, allowed only a single framed photo of their choice to cling to amid the chaos.
And brace yourselves for the vilest eating challenge in show history: For the first time ever, camel brains are on the menu. Trial producer Katie Garnett dished the disgusting details: “There will be camel brain, which is something we’ve never had on the show before. The taste and texture is similar to eating liver, but really disgusting, tough, yet mushy liver. You can’t really compare it to anything. It’s a real unique taste and texture.”
With pythons prowling, bugs biting, and brain-munching trials looming, this year’s I’m A Celebrity promises to be a pulse-pounding battle for survival. Will the stars conquer the jungle’s terrors, or will the horde of ‘monster’ snakes have the last hiss? Stay tuned—the screams are about to begin!