First look at I’m A Celebrity as cast meet each other for the first time ahead of launch task – and Ant and Dec look on

I’M A CELEBRITY is well underway as the cast meet each other for the first time as the nerve-wracking launch task kicks off.

The Sun revealed that the celebs will race into the jungle when this year’s show kicks off – with the winners ruling over camp.

The stars will choose their partners under playground-style picking rules before dashing in, with the new challenge called Snakes and Leaders.

Now in first look photos, the celebrities are seen meeting for the first time as a luxury property in New South Wales.

One picture shows The Sun’s columnist and Loose Women star Jane Moore embracing her fellow jungle stars – including McFly‘s Danny Jones, Strictly pro Oti Mabuse, pop star Tulisa and Dean McCullough.

After some friendly exchanges, each contestant is then seen running for their life as the first challenge kicks off.

McFly hitmaker Danny, N-Dubz singer Tulia and radio DJ Dean were also also seen making a quick getaway as they run for the helicopter.

While Dancing On Ice judge Oti was also seen pacing across the field in a khaki jumpsuit – looking ready for action.

From a distance, presenters Any and Dec are seen watching closely from a balcony as the challenge unfolds.

But fans will be quick to spot that not all the celebrities in the line-up are pictured.

Each year, two sets of celebrities form a group at the beginning of the series, and it looks like this year will be no different.

The other contestants competing this year includes radio and TV presenter Melvin Odoom, YouTube sensation GK Barry, Coronation Street star Alan Halsall, Coleen Rooney and ex boxer Barry McGuigan.

Latecomers include Maura Higgins and Richard Coles.

Let the games begin

In an exciting revamp, the winning pair will be made leaders of the camp for the first few days – the first time camp will have two leaders instead of one.

As well as ruling the roost, they will get to kip in proper beds, sheltered from any rain, in the newly-built Leaders’ Lodge – which overlooks the other campmates who just get the usual basic beds and hammocks.

Bosses say they want to make this year’s series as competitive as possible from the off, with all ten initial celebs including Wag Coleen and singer Tulisa getting pitted against each other.

They will also get “more power” than the leader has had in previous years.

The show’s executive producer Olly Nash revealed: “There is a finish line. There’s a very clear start with Ant and Dec.

“And Ant and Dec are at the very end as well, and they’re all heading for the same finish line.

“It will be clear who is winning and who has won, but there’ll be plenty of opportunities for overtakes, so all is not lost.

“There’ll be a number of challenges across the race. There’ll be a very clear starting point and a starting moment for Ant and Dec, and it’ll be quite obvious when these people are finished.

“It’s up to the celebrities who they pair up with.

“There will be a mechanism and a twist about how they decide who picks who and in what order, and that will be out on the first show on Sunday.

“So that mechanism will be almost like a playground pick, in the sense that nobody wants to be picked last.

“But there will be an element or a group of celebrities that will be picking the other celebrities are remaining to pair up with, and in your pairs, you’ll be racing for camp.”

Olly added: “Never before has that race for camp, or a race had such an impact in the first few days of reality.

“It will really lead those relationships you create and the people you pick will really affect your future in camp and across the series.”

Olly said he hopes this year’s lineup could see a return to the “golden years” like 2018, when former footie boss and SunSport columnist Harry Redknapp won.

He said: “One of the golden years was a really positive year, like the Harry Redknapp year of 2018 so this is a great cast which is positive, happy, they’re all really sort of celebrating, and can’t wait to get in.

“And so I think that’s really what we all want to see Is a great year of positive, happy, funny camp.

“They all become one big family and this year I think there’s a stronger chance of becoming a stronger family and those relationships continuing beyond the show.

“The chances of that happening are much greater than before.

“The camp puts everybody in equal footing. And the great thing with that is the camp exposes everybody, and it’s just how you perform within this group.

“It’s not really everything on the outside. There’s obviously loads of stories that people have got to tell. But once you’re in here you have nothing but yourself.”