Written by Shona Smith on Aug 12, 2020. Posted in Production News

ITV hit format I’m a Celebrity 2020 will be swap the Australian jungle for British countryside

ITV have yet to reveal where in the UK the series will shoot, but have said it will take place at a ruined castle. According to UK press reports Gwrych Castle will host filming where work on a campsite has begun. As usual the celebrities will undergo trials and challenges to win food and treats but the series will crown the winner King or Queen of the Castle, rather than the Jungle.

The series has been filmed in Australia since it’s origins, with the first series shot near Cairns, Queensland in 2003. Springbrook National Park in Murwillumbah, New South Wales hosted filming since the second series. Murwillumbah is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the forested mountain ranges of the Scenic Rim are located.

Richard Cowles, Director of Entertainment at ITV Studios says “We pulled out all the stops to try and make the series happen in Australia. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and despite us looking at many different contingencies, it became apparent that it just wasn’t possible for us to travel and make the show there. However, we are all really excited about a UK version of I’m A Celebrity. While it will certainly be different producing the show from the UK, the same tone and feel will remain. Our celebrities will probably have to swap shorts for thermals but they can still look forward to a basic diet of rice and beans and plenty of thrills and surprises along the way”.

In June ITV announced Love Island, another hit format for the broadcaster would be cancelled. Both the summer and winter 2020 series have been put on hold until 2021 because of Covid-19. The summer series films in Majorca, Spain while the winter series shot in South Africa in 2019.

The US version of Love Island, produced by ITV Entertainment for CBS is going ahead with filming. The series will air from August 24 with filming taking place in Las Vegas. The cast, all Las Vegas staff and crew working on the production will be within quarantined “bubbles” for isolation before production begins. Crew and staff will be required to wear PPE, work in pods to enhance social distancing and undergo daily screening and regular testing.