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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Entertainment
Karen Antcliff

I'm A Celebrity South Africa sparks major TV scheduling shake-up

They're all a bit older and perhaps a bit wiser after having endured more than one round of I'm A Celebrity... Get me Out of Here, but now the 'all stars' are returning - this time heading to a different location - for I'm A Celebrity South Africa. With the new location comes different rules and, according to reports, a TV scheduling shake-up.

The much talked about show, which TV hosts Ant and Dec referred to as "probably the worst kept secret in television" when they confirmed back in September 2022, in South Africa would be going ahead. The show, the first episode of which is due to air tonight, Monday, April 24, will include what ITV are calling "some of the most memoragle campmates" from a span of the original programmes.

Included in the line up is boxing champion Amir Khan, dancer Jordan Banjo, former Corrie star Helen Flanagan, and TV presenter and Countdown legend Carol Vorderman. The star line-up continues with Olympian Fatima Whitbread, former Royal butler Paul Burrell, ex-England cricketer Phil Turnell, supermodel Janice Dickinson, and Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder.

ITV says: "There will be many more celebrities taking part in the series but viewers will have to watch to find out who they are and when they will enter camp".

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The show is due to air at 9pm on Monday, April 24, on ITV1 and ITVX, but that means changes to the regular scheduling programme. The News at 10 will be moved from its usual slot. It has been pushed on 30 minutes and instead will air at 10.30pm. On Tuesday, the news will take the 10.15pm slot and then on Wednesday it will start at 10.05pm. Later in the week, News at 10 will returns to a 10.15pm slot while on Friday it starts again at 10.05pm.

According to the Mirror, bosses at ITV are also mixing up the rules of the show as well as the programme's format. In another major shake up, no contestant will be crowned king or queen of the jungle, Instead, the winning celebrity will be named as the first ever show 'legend'.

In a new statement, ITV said: "With no public vote, they will be competing against each other in a battle to become the first ever 'I'm A Celebrity Legend'."

The change means the likes of Phil Tufnell, who was a winner and made king in 2003, won’t be able to regain his royal title. The publication also indicated that there are two additional former winners expected to arrive on the show - latecomers are anticipated in the form of Georgia Toffolo and Joe Swash.

A show source said: "There will still be a winner of the show but they won't be crowned in quite the same way. There is no public vote and also they have all competed before, so bosses decided they couldn't really be crowned king or queen. Instead one celeb will get legendary status."

Amir Khan has made his intentions clear saying that he went in to win the show after struggling in the Australian jungle. He said: "I let myself down by saying 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here in one of the Trials in Australia. I got scared last time and I want to go in again and come out as the main man – the champion. I am in this to win it."

The show, which was pre-recorded last year, will start tonight from a new camp based on the edge of the Kruger National Park, South Africa, instead of Australia. The celebs will once again rely on rice and beans for meals and have to win other food for camp.

  • I’m A Celebrity…South Africa begins tonight at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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