“I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here” marks the start of the Christmas countdown and what a series this one was. The twenty third series of the programme lasted from the 19th of November to the 10th of December and certainly kept the British public entertained through the cold, dark evenings.
As celebrities faced the hardest trials yet, we could sit comfortable and warm in the safety of our own homes. This season’s contestants featured: Sam Thompson, Nella Rose, Fred Sirieix, Tony Bellew, Grace Dent, Frankie Dettori, Nigel Farage, Josie Gibson, Danielle Harold, Marvin Humes, Jamie-Lynn Spears, and Nick Pickard. Their jungle experience seemed incredibly tough but nonetheless most of them made memories to last a lifetime while fighting each night for the reward of a meal.
As the series commenced, a selection of heart-stopping tasks were completed by the celebrities before heading into camp. Some jumped out of planes and walked along beams hanging from a tall building, while others searched for stars in pools of fish guts and unidentified liquids. It makes you question why we are so entertained by watching celebrities suffer? Perhaps some take particular pleasure in seeing politicians such as Nigel Farage in a vulnerable position, or maybe it’s just a natural human reaction to be engaged in other’s discomfort.
Some celebrities really struggled in the jungle environment such as Jamie-Lynne Spears who after revealing her troubled past, found the experience extremely mentally challenging. In the interview with hosts Ant and Dec, several camp mates commented that emotions are heightened in the jungle purely out of hunger and homesickness. Jamie-Lynne especially, struggled with missing her children which is entirely understandable. The producers seemed to enjoy her distress almost too much, but the drama did not end there.
A particularly feisty lot were this year's contestants despite their close relationship. Many arguments broke out and sensitive topics were discussed particularly involving Nella Rose. Nella even admitted that she was there to spark up some heated discussions. With Nigel Farage present as a pillar of controversy, opposing opinions were bound to clash and cause disputes. Fred Sirieix accidentally touched a soft spot when mentioning Nella Rose’s parents who are no longer around. Unfortunately, this caused an awkward atmosphere between them and the camp as a whole for a couple of days. Other teeth-grinding conversation were the many that involved Nigel Farage and his unpopular actions in politics. Both Nella and Fred addressed their differences with Nigel and after some heavy discussions, agreed to co-exist without tension.
After an eventful series packed with emotion, Sam Thompson was rightfully crowned king of the jungle. Sam was the life and soul of this year's “I’m a Celebrity”with a constantly hyper personality and positive attitude. He formed a particularly close bond with Tony Bellew who juxtaposed his chaotic energy with a calm and dry sense of humour. I have no doubt Sam’s career will skyrocket after this series due to his likeable character. Overall, an incredibly successful programme which will be hard to top this year.