Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly pushed to have this year’s series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! filmed near their north east birthplace.
The 2020 series of I’m A Celeb will film in a North Wales castle as travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic meant getting a bunch of celebs to Australia would be impossible.
Ant and Dec, both 44, hoped to get ITV bosses to pick a filming location near Tyne and Wear where they were raised.
The Geordie duo have lived in London for more than 20 years, but that didn’t stop them pitching a number of north east castles.
Ant and Dec hoped their star-power could sway I’m A Celeb bosses (Image: Nigel Wright)
Among them were Warkworth Castle, which is just 29 miles from Newcastle, and the more remote Lindisfarne on Holy Island.
Dad-of-one Dec said: “I said we should put them all on Holy Island, let’s all go to Lindisfarne [Castle] get them all there.”
Meanwhile Ant added to The Sun: “You’ve got Warkworth Castle, we pitched a lot of castles – we tried.”
Ant and Dec fought for the remote Lindisfarne Castle to be I’m A Celeb’s 2020 home (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Despite their pleas to bosses, ITV eventually picked Gwyrch Castle in Abergele, North Wales for the camp.
The Welsh tourist attraction was reportedly hired for more than £1million for six weeks to film I’m A Celeb – a far cry from the usual Australian jungle setting.
The popular presenters are still getting used to the idea of this year’s series being so different.
I’m A Celeb will film at Gwrych Castle in Abergele, Wales (Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live)
Ant said on Steve and Karen’s Breakfast Show on TFM: “There is going to be a real curiosity for what it’s going to be like, from us more than anybody.
“It’s going to be fun, everybody loves I’m A Celebrity and we are used to it being one way and we are doing it a different way – let’s see what happens.”
The cast is yet to be announced, however he added that it is “looking really strong” and this year’s celebs “will be up for it”.
He went on: “We live in a different world this year than we normally do, so everybody kind of understands the reasons why, we just can’t wait to get going.”
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here! will return to ITV later this year
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
