Much like last year, the campmates in the new series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! are facing a very different experience to the usual hot and steamy surroundings of the Australian jungle. Trapped once again in the damp and cold Gwrych Castle in Wales, the celebrities are getting to grips with an altogether more dreary experience.
And AJ Pritchard, who endured life in the castle last year when the show was forced to stay in the UK for the first time due to the pandemic, says the campmates will find themselves actually looking forward to the trials – just to keep warm!
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Professional dancer and former Strictly star AJ, 27, tells Closer, “It was very cold, I can’t deny it! And the more tired you got, the less food you ate, the colder and colder it got. You were almost hopeful to do a trial because at least it meant you were moving around doing stuff and keeping warm.
“The new contestants in there now need to prepare for the challenges ahead; the hunger, the cold and the long nights. But the main thing is to enjoy their time! It’s honestly the best experience, I’m so glad I did it.”
AJ, who is dating dancer girlfriend Abbie Quinnen, 24, adds, “In fact, I loved my time in the castle, everyone was super positive. The country was in its third lockdown, and we knew everyone at home was watching us. It was fun – but eating things like eel and pigeon wasn’t good!”
What really happens inside the castle walls
Cooking & cleaning duty is the best!
“We all assign each other roles to do in camp every day or every few days. I thought picking the roles would be awkward and seem like a chore. But actually, it was great to take on the bigger roles. I loved being on cooking duty, because you could sneak that extra mouthful of food. And if you were cleaning up, you could grab any leftovers. Those extra grains of rice really did make a difference.”
Clean underwear is rationed
“When packing, we were told we were technically only allowed to bring in three pairs of underwear. I snuck in four pairs, though, and it really made a difference having an extra. Putting on a fresh pair of underpants really boosts your mood. Other people ended up wearing swimwear sometimes when they ran out or weren’t able to wash and dry theirs.”
There’s little interaction with Ant & Dec
“I assumed there would be more interaction with Ant & Dec, but there really wasn’t much of that. We only saw them when we had trials and at the beginning of the show, and when you left. You just didn’t know when they were going to burst in! And whenever they did it was like being a school kid again, everyone would get so excited to see what they were going to say. It was a highlight!”
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1 of 4Frankie Bridge
"I love Frankie, we're in the same sort of industry so we've crossed paths. I'm excited to see her in camp, I'm sure she'll do very well – I'll probably give her a little vote while she's in there!"
2 of 4Matty Lee
"It'll be good to see an Olympian like Matty in there. He's done amazingly well in his career as a diver and is a gold medallist, so will no doubt want to go all the way. It'll be interesting to see his personality on camera."
3 of 4Naughty Boy
"I'm excited to watch him. I don't know him personally, but I'm a big fan of his music. He's pretty epic as an artist [producing tracks with Cheryl and Jennifer Hudson] but what will he be like as a person?"
4 of 4Richard Madeley
"I think he's going to be one of the most popular people in camp. I can see him being a real laugh. He's got charm and he seems like a good agony uncle – I believe he'll be brilliant entertainment."
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Trials are always done in the dead of night
“Because there is no time difference in Wales like there was in Australia, we had to do our live trials and challenges late – often going through into the early hours. Although we didn’t know the time as we’re not allowed watches, I later found out that we often went on until 3am or 4am filming trials. Luckily, they let us have a lie-in afterwards. But you felt so disorientated. I think our sleeping patterns just adjusted.”
Campmates don’t bond as quickly as you think...
“I think it can be confusing for viewers when they see certain campmates bond so quickly – it looks odd that people are suddenly so close. But that’s because you don’t get to see the countless in-depth conversations that happen – they just get cut as there’s not time to show everything. Friendships grow slowly and naturally – I made some great mates.”