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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Mike Bedigan

I’m A Celebrity contestants endure snakes and snores in first night in jungle

Contestants on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! endured their first night of discomfort in the jungle, which featured unexpected snakes and campmates snoring.

They struggled to adjust to being away from family members and having to endure jungle cuisine on day two of the ITV reality show.

Love Island star Olivia Attwood withdrew from the show on medical grounds, after just one day.

ITV said the 31-year-old former reality show contestant has been told by the programme’s medical team it is not safe for her to return to camp.

She becomes the first contestant to leave the show, which launched on Sunday night with an average audience of 9.1 million, according to overnight ratings from ITV.

On Monday’s episode contestants shared their feelings following their first night in camp.

Loose Women star Charlene White told the Bush Telegraph: “I would say that my first night’s sleep in the jungle wasn’t great.

“I’m not used to sleeping outdoors, it’s a new environment,” she said.

“I think I was over-emotional, I was missing the kids, it just got released through tears really and I just couldn’t stop crying.”

Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner made fun of Mike Tindall’s snoring in camp.

“I thought the main thing I was going to have to be looking out for was the spiders, the snakes or the insects… turns out it was actually Mike,” he said.

“We’ve got a classic case of a (mimics loud snoring).”

Away from the main camp, property expert Scarlette Douglas said: “I’m quite a morning person, I didn’t think I was. Yeah, I’m ready to go, let’s do this.”

She has been absolutely brilliant and she'll be very much missed on the show
— ITV spokesman

Her fellow campmate on VIP island, Culture Club singer Boy George told her: “I had an amazing night in a way. I meditated for about two hours.”

Laughing Douglas said: “I just heard snoring.”

Boy George replied: “Sorry babe!”

Some campmates were also surprised when a snake slithered through the camp in the middle of the night.

Comedian Babatunde Aleshe admitted in the Bush Telegraph: “If I had seen that snake, everybody in Australia would have heard about it.”

Announcing Attwood’s departure earlier on Monday, a spokesman for ITV said: “As a precautionary measure Olivia needed to leave the jungle to undergo some medical checks.

“Unfortunately the medical team has advised it is not safe for Olivia to return to camp as there needs to be a further investigation.

“She has been absolutely brilliant and she’ll be very much missed on the show.”

Her early exit makes for one of the shortest stints in the show, closely matched by that of EastEnders actress Elaine Lordan who in 2005 dropped out after fainting twice within 24 hours of her arrival.

Her representatives have been contacted for further comment.

During the launch episode, Attwood was selected by the public to become a Jungle VIP – a Very Isolated Person – alongside radio DJ Chris Moyles, Douglas, and Boy George.

Their first Bushtucker challenge saw Attwood inserting her hand into small wall openings filled with worms in a bid to unscrew pipe fittings and stop the flow of water into chambers holding Boy George and Moyles.

The pair were placed into the “torpedo tubes” and made to collect stars dropped into the containers.

The celebrities earned eight of the 10 stars, but Moyles admitted he had felt uncomfortable in the final minutes.

“With two minutes to go the water was here… with the helmet,” he said as he gestured to the top of his head.

“I might have panicked a bit.”

Later on, Ant and Dec revealed Aleshe has been selected by the public to face the next Bushtucker Trial – titled Horrifying Heights – on Tuesday – after being chosen over Owen Warner.

The I’m A Celebrity… launch episode on Sunday night saw 10 new famous faces enter the Australian jungle for the first time since 2019 after the show was shot at Gwrych Castle in North Wales for the past two years due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly confirmed there will be two extra arrivals to the camp shortly, including former health secretary Matt Hancock.

The Conservative MP for West Suffolk is expected to appear in the coming days, as the presenters said they will be “rolling out the welcome mat for them soon”.

Speaking to broadcasters at Copy27 in Egypt, Rishi Sunak repeated his criticism of the former health secretary for joining the show.

– I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! continues on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub.

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