I am not ashamed to say I watch I’m A Celeb. This may come as a surprise to some, as I hate most TV Big-Brother-style shows; I turn my nose up at them even, they are just horrendous. But for me, I’m A Celeb is different.
The show has been going on for over a decade, it is basically a load of celebs shoved into the jungle, so we can watch them do trials and live amongst one another and the wildlife. Filmed in Australia and hosted by Ant and Dec, we count down from 12 hopeful celebrities to just one, who is then crowned King or Queen of the Jungle.
The reason why I like I’m A Celeb is because of the environment the contestants find themselves in. With other reality shows styled around this format, such as Big Brother, there are rooms and beds and food – and they are still pretty spoiled. But in the jungle it is different. They have to work together. I enjoy, for example, how sneaking sugar in socks can cause total uproar. Basically it is the kind of TV you can zone out of to watch, and sometimes, you damn well need it!
The stars in this year’s line up stick to ITV’s now popular format. The very attractive young woman this year is Jorgie Porter (no relation), an actress from Hollyoaks who is genuinely a delight to watch as she is up for it and will try everything.
There is the older and slightly bitter man, who in this case for me would be Tony Handler, a musician and band member of Spandau Ballet.
The older women, who represents a part of British elitism that is sadly not yet forgotten, goes to Lady Colin Campbell, an author and socialite. Personally I hate that word – it pretty much means she goes out a lot. However she sticks up for herself and refuses to wash the dishes, which is amusement to the masses I do not doubt.
As per usual, they have thrown in some oddities to spice things up. The choreographer Brian Friedman, for example, who after researching I found out does all the choreography for The X-Factor – which is not really an achievement. He has also worked with The Star, and I am pretty sure was the first person to get his top off, which I believe is a must for any man who feels the need to show off a physique they feel the public must see. Another is George Shelley, a member of the band Union J, whom I have absolutely no idea about. However, he does look so young that I cannot take him at all seriously, especially when he tries to flirt with Jorgie. In fact, it makes me cringe so much that I have to look away.
There are many other faces, including Chris Eubank, whose hard resolve and quiet manner is something I think will make him easily missed in the crowd of loud and energetic people they have brought together. As is always the way with I’m A Celeb.
Another long-lost celebrity, Susannah Constantine, whom viewers might remember from fashion critique show Trinny and Susannah, has graced our screens in a desperate hope of a revival. To be fair, I like her personality and the fact that she does not take crap from people in the camp. But I cannot help but feel that these shows seem a last chance for the nearly-forgotten of the TV era.
Although light-hearted, I do feel that you need to be dedicated to watch I’m A Celeb. It is on every day, and at over an hour in length, with an unfortunate amount of adverts every third word, it can be a bit demanding.
However, the format so far seems to have remained largely the same. Everyone moans about being hungry, they get political about who washes up, and someone cries, a lot.
Image: Daniel Zedda