Written by on Sep 17, 2014. Posted in On Location

Australian version of reality game show I’m A Celebrity to film in Africa

An Australian version of the UK reality show I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! will film in a jungle location in Africa. The format puts minor celebrities in a ‘remote’ jungle camp where they complete trials for privileges and are gradually voted off until one is crowned the winner.

Filming for the UK and German versions of the show – the two longest-running editions – takes place on the edge of a rainforest in Queensland, Australia.

“I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is a big, noisy and spectacular show for all the family and an incredible live reality television event,” said Beverley McGarvey, Chief Programming Officer at Australia’s Network Ten: “It will be a massive production, set in an amazing location in Africa. We cannot wait to get our celebrities in the jungle.”

Specific filming locations for the Australian edition have not been confirmed but production infrastructure and security are likely to be major considerations, both balanced against the need to deliver an exotic jungle locale.

South Africa is the continent’s main filming hub and the obvious filming choice would be unfamiliar locations within a manageable distance of either Cape Town or Johannesburg. The country is currently home to major international TV shoots including Black Sails and Homeland. It is, however, short on the kind of jungle terrain that Network Ten may be looking for.

Territories elsewhere in Africa certainly offer exotic locations but they become more complicated logistically. Production infrastructure is less comprehensive and could struggle to support a major TV series over the course of several weeks.