ITV has paid Gwrych Castle £300,000 to use the site for I'm A Celebrity – and the funds have saved many jobs in the area.
Founder and head of the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, Mark Baker, says he initially ignored ITV’s email to use the castle for I’m a Celebrity thinking it was a spam email.
Mark also admitted that he has never seen the iconic reality TV show.
But the £300,000 fee has saved the castle and many local jobs.
He said: “I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement before anyone from ITV so much as visited, and the actual name of the programme was never confirmed until we were very close to signing contracts in July.
"It would usually take us over two years to raise £300,000.
"With the second wave of Covid, the programme has saved not only us but many local businesses.
"Hundreds of jobs have kept going because ITV have employed them on site.”
Baker also says the word “castle” shouldn’t suggest anything luxurious to the celebrities as months of work by ITV has merely made Gwrych’s ancient masonry safe – before that, the public wasn’t allowed inside.
The only water supply is at the end of the long driveway leading up to the castle, so there may not be much in the way of a jungle shower.
The £300,000 will also allow a roof to be put on part of the structure after the show is finished, as Baker's dream is to restore it fully.
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