The damage caused by Storm Arwen to the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! set has been hailed “the £1 million disaster” by the show’s crew, according to reports.
The ITV show remained off air on Monday for the third consecutive night after damages and poor weather meant that the celebs were pulled out of Gwrych Castle.
They took shelter in a nearby hotel and remained in isolation to maintain a secure Covid bubble.
This is the first time ever that all of the celebs have been pulled out of the show completely.
Bosses now fear that the total cost of the disaster may rise to seven figures, including lost advertising revenue and the increased cost of staffing as the destruction is repaired, reports The Mirror.
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
Over the weekend, ‘best bits’ compilation programmes were used to fill the empty slots but drew an average of 1.9 million viewers – which paled in comparison to the launch’s 11.9 million average viewers.
An insider told The Sun that it has been a “complete nightmare” of a weekend.
“This show is ITV’s cash cow and to lose three days of episodes is just the worst case scenario,” they said.
(Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live)
“But even advertising revenue aside, it’s the physical damage on site that has also racked up costs.”
The source continued that “really expensive equipment” had been damaged in the storm, along with marquees, and that contractors have been working tirelessly to get the production up and running again.
“Everyone is working every hour under the sun — and with hired help that also means extra pay,” they continued.
“It’s been described on site as the £1 million disaster. It’s been an expensive few days to say the least.”
(Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live)
The Daily Star has reached out to ITV for comment.
This comes after ITV bosses confirmed that the live show will return later today.
They confirmed in a statement: “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! will return from tomorrow night (Tuesday 30th November) on ITV and ITV Hub with a brand new show. Ant & Dec will be back presenting live from the Castle.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
