A vacation to Africa is sure to be on every intrepid traveler’s wish list. But for those who don’t plan on traveling to Africa anytime soon, there’s one way to get the full wildlife experience without ever leaving your house. sofa…
Unlike any other Australian TV show, it welcomes us into the jungle. ‘I’m A Celebrity’…Get Me Out of Here! reveals the rather dramatic side of getting lost in nature. And that’s enough to keep us glued for hours at a time.
Every year, a handful of spoiled celebrities are unceremoniously dropped into a “jungle” where they are left to fend for themselves, living on meager rations and competing with each other for small luxuries.
In 2024, the show will bring just as much drama and popcorn as the previous season.
Co-host Julia Morris shows off the wild locations where I’m a Celebrity was filmed before the pandemic and again in 2023.
(Instagram)
There are countless joys to watch, but there’s one question we can’t stop thinking about. Where on earth do the contestants end up enduring such hardships?
The series was thought to have been filmed in Africa, but in 2019 everything was thrown out the window when I’m A Celebrity’s official Instagram account posted a location tag of “Katoomba, New South Wales.” It was questioned.
Fans didn’t know what to think – were we living a lie? Celebs really were hanging out in the Blue Mountains and then taking a taxi home to visit family for the weekend. I wonder if it was?
Host Julia Morris was quick to clear things up and confirm that the conspiracy theory is indeed a conspiracy.
“Can you imagine how much easier my life would be if I stayed in the Blue Mountains?” she told The Kyle and Jackie O. Show at the time.
Julia shares a moment with one of the locals at a new filming location in New South Wales.
(Instagram)
However, the 2019 rumors turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy as the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020 and the show’s filming days in South Africa came to a tragic end. It seems like it has.
With borders closed and international travel impossible, the show had to find new filming locations closer to home.
The growers have settled in Murwillumbah, New South Wales (no, not the Blue Mountains) for both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
The location is new to the Australian production, but it has also previously been used by I’m a Celeb… and several seasons of the British version of the show have been filmed here, most recently in 2022. I did.
Keep scrolling to find out more about ‘I’m A Celebrity Australia’ filming locations.
Video: Lauren Blunt talks about being rough on ‘I’m a Celebrity’. Story continues below.
Where was ‘I’m A Celebrity’ filmed during the coronavirus pandemic?
The hit reality show’s 2021 and 2022 seasons were forced to film on location in Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Channel 10 chose a venue near Murwillumbah, New South Wales, for both seasons and knew the location was perfect given its history with the British franchise.
Before the spot was officially chosen, former presenter Dr Chris Brown told news.com.au that the production team was “looking for a location that would provide the celebrities with a sense of adventure and a sense of discovery.” … We want them to get out of their own world.” comfort zone. ”
Although New South Wales isn’t South Africa, the Australian locations featured creepy crawlies, danger, and all the other elements you’d expect from I’m a Celeb.
The 2023 season of I’m a Celeb will be the last season the two will co-host the show.
(Image: Ten)
Where is I’m A Celebrity usually filmed?
There’s no denying the beauty of the scenery seen on popular TV shows. In 2024, I’m a Celebrity returns to South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
The park is the country’s “most exciting African safari destination,” offering vast landscapes and “spectacular” African wildlife, according to the park’s website.
Within its boundaries live creatures large and small, many of which the contestants have never encountered before. Aardvarks, rhinos, zebras, cheetahs, and even American buffalo can be found roaming the area.
With this in mind, filming on Australian grass might have been easier for the contestants, as being thrown into the bushes without any guidance can be a bit unnerving…or so it seems. Maybe not.
Some of the wildlife that lives in the old part of South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
(Getty)
Is it really a jungle?
This bothers me a bit. The show itself touts the fact that celebrities are thrown into a jungle, and it turns out this set isn’t exactly classified as a jungle, as the word “jungle” is thrown around countless times.
Strictly speaking, the New South Wales location was not a jungle, but Murwillumbah has plenty of rainforest and farmland.
Here in Australia, the rainforest is as close to a real jungle as you can get. The only real difference is that a rainforest has a high canopy layer, whereas a real jungle does not.
No, the stars didn’t go into a real jungle when the show was filmed in Australia, but if you’ve ever camped or hiked in the Australian rainforest, you’ll know that it’s just as perfect as a real jungle. I know that it may exist.
As for the original South African filming location, news.com.au reporter Anthony Sherwood revealed in 2015 that the set was actually located on grassland.
“Vert” is an African term that refers to a grassy area with only a few trees, but the show appears to have been filmed in a deep valley with lots of bushes and a bit of dampness.
Mr Sherwood, who spoke to an Australian academic specializing in African forests, revealed that there is no jungle at all in the Kruger National Park…excuse me!
Jungle or not, there’s no denying that celebrities are put to the test in unfamiliar environments during the show.
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What are the requirements for the “I’m A Celebrity” set?
Contestants on “I’m a Celeb” spend most of their time outdoors, so they’re exposed to all sorts of harsh conditions, including weather and insects.
During the 2021 season, Jess Eva faced a frightening ordeal when she got a bug in her ear, leaving her stuck in it for weeks.
In the show, medics tried to get rid of the bugs, but even after Jess left the jungle, the pain in her ears continued and she later learned the bugs were still there.
In the end, she was admitted to the hospital and the bug was successfully removed, but after hearing that story, I have no desire to sign up for the program.
WATCH: Jess Eva opens up about her buggy ordeal on ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here’
We’re used to extreme weather in Australia, but it seems like it’s happening on the South African set of I’m a Celebrity, and it’s certainly possible for things to get a little out of hand.
In fact, in 2017, heavy rains caused evacuations due to flooding up to 3 meters deep, and filming was halted.
Speaking to Sunshine Coast Daily, the show’s safety consultant Paul Cheevers said the heavy rain had caused “really significant” damage.
“Obviously the set here is flooded and now we’re worried about the crocodiles coming down the river. Hippos also tend to come into the side of the rapids and hide.”
Chivers said flash flooding is the biggest risk to cast and crew during filming, but don’t worry, they have strict contingency plans in place in case the weather worsens.
“We just have to play it by ear as the water level rises, and then we put the steps in place and put the controls into action,” he said.
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