“I’m a Celebrity” Filming Delayed as Severe Storm Forces Emergency Evacuation

The cast and crew of the British survival reality show “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” have recently taken the second part of their series’s title to heart, as adverse weather has given them a harsh reminder of the realities of filming in a wilderness location. This past Monday, a particularly fearsome storm was responsible for delaying the Bushtucker Trials and other assorted activities that constitute the bread and butter of this long-running show.

A 23-year-old Series in a Volatile Environment

The British incarnation of “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” (which is the first of 16 such reality series in as many countries) began in 2002 and is currently in its 25th season. Except for the Queensland-set first season, the entire show has been filmed in the rainforest of New South Wales, Australia. Each season, a new group of celebrities (this season’s lineup includes Aitch, Kelly Brook, Jack Osbourne, and Shona McGarty) must endure spending over two weeks in this untamed region, while viewers vote on who will “win” each season.

While the jungle may be a bit nicer to stay in than the vast Outback – at least water availability isn’t a problem in a rainforest – the makers of “I’m a Celebrity” have long understood that it offers its own challenges. Last season alone, inclement weather necessitated evacuation on two separate occasions, and a thunderstorm earlier this month obliged the crew to plan ahead in order to minimize the risk of severe damage to the set. As one of the show’s sources has said (via The Sun), “Never underestimate the Gold Coast weather – it can go from 30C heat to biblical storms in minutes.”

On November 24, nature struck yet again: a thunderstorm poured sheets of rain and hail down on the campsite where “I’m a Celebrity” was being filmed. Also per The Sun, a source described the storm’s effect on the set: “The camp was drenched and the storm caused filming issues.” All 12 of the season’s celebrities were promptly evacuated to the nearby Bush Telegraph to wait out the worst of the deluge, “until… it was safe to return to camp.”

A Minor Setback – Not Even the Scariest Part of the Shoot

Fortunately, between the advance preparations and the swift evacuation, the thunderstorm did not have any severe repercussions for “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” It took about two hours for the storm to abate, after which the celebrities were obliged to use the site’s campfire to dry their towels and sheets. Ultimately, the shoot was delayed by only three hours, and the always highly anticipated Bushtucker Trial was filmed only an hour later than originally intended.

The Bushtucker Trial is a time-honored ritual of “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” and consists of one or more of the celebrities partaking in an activity that would prompt the average person to shout, “Get me out of here!” in order to earn food for themselves and their campmates.

In this case, the trial was called “Down the Hatch” and required Jack Osbourne to lower himself into eight different vertical tunnels, filled with water and variously inhabited by pythons, crabs, crocodiles, toads, and eels, to acquire the “stars” he needed to complete the trial. In some of the tunnels, he was obliged to hold his breath for over a minute. Suddenly, shooting during a thunderstorm may no longer seem so frightening. Nevertheless, Osbourne acquitted himself admirably, successfully obtaining all 12 of the sought-after stars and, per Entertainment Now, calling this trial “fun” despite the numerous bites and pinches he endured from his tunnel-mates.

Final Thoughts

All in all, the thunderstorm that interrupted the shoot of this year’s “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” was ultimately as trifling a setback as it was a predictable one. Such adverse weather is an unavoidable consequence of the filming location, and everyone involved was well-prepared to respond to such an eventuality. In the annals of filming schedules disrupted by meteorology (a history that includes such calamitous productions as “Apocalypse Now” and “Waterworld”), “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” will go down as one of the lucky ones.