I’m A Celeb camp ‘flooded by flesh-eating leeches’ just days before series kicks off
I’M A Celebrity’s camp is once again set to be victim to brutal storms that bring out grisly creatures for this year’s star line-up.
As ITV prepares to welcome a new gang of celebrities into the New South Wales camp, they’re having to contend with some of the creatures that normally call it a home.
This includes flesh-eating leeches and giant earthworms, which rise out of soil to the surface when in heavy rain.
The leeches come on top of reports that poisonous toads have invaded the camp just days before it kicks off.
If disturbed by a human, a cane toad could squirt toxin into the eyes – resulting in pain and disrupted vision, while ingesting or swallowing the toxin could affect heart function, breathing and blood pressure.
The issue is something the show has had to contend with before, with multiple former castmates complaining about their run-ins with the grisly creatures that pack a bite.
For health and safety reasons, this could limit the camp’s access to the waterfall and creek as it becomes ripe for infestation.
There’s also a safety team who sweep the area to make sure any lethal animals, including spiders and snakes, are kept away from the camp as best as possible.
I’m A Celebrity 2024 is set to kick off on Sunday, November 17, and the weather forecast predicts the camp will be in for a rough first few days.
Weather in Queensland is predicted to be severe thunderstorms, with the UV index – which measures the sun’s ultraviolet radiation – marked as an ‘unhealthy’ level 12.
For context, anything above 11 is extreme and a ‘stay inside’ warning according to the prevent cancer foundation.
Last year, the camp braced for winds of up to 130mph as they were battered by Cyclone Jasper, a category three storm.
The Sun exclusively revealed that I’m A Celeb had landed its biggest line-up yet, with stars including Coleen Rooney, Maura Higgins, Alan Halsall and Oti Mabuse signing on for the three-week endurance reality show.
However, just days before they’re due to fly out, the team reportedly had to haul in podcast host GK Barry in for crisis talks after negative backlash from an interview she did.
GK, real name Grace, was slammed for comments deemed to be “harmful” after her chat with OnlyFans creator Bonnie Blue, who made headlines for bedding a series of “barely legal” University students during Fresher’s Week.
The Saving Grace podcast host is now in the midst of an “absolute PR nightmare,” according to a source.
“I’m A Celeb is a family show and they can’t have anyone on there who agrees with sleeping with barely 18 year olds,” the source said.
“The top brass have held crisis talks as to how they handle the backlash with GK enters the show.
“GK has deleted the video but the furore hasn’t gone away.
“The backlash is already huge on YouTube and social media this is an absolute PR nightmare for ITV.
“They rely on advertisers wanting to spend money on the show and it’s not a good look when one of the campmates has had someone so controversial on her podcast and agreed with everything she said.”