Many were surprised last year at the news the I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! was still going ahead despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many more were surprised (and a little sceptical) when it was announced that it would take place in the most exotic of locations.... Gwrych Castle in North Wales.
But despite the scepticism, ITV managed to pull off a cracking series of television, successfully bringing the jungle (and all the terrifying creepy crawlies that come with it) to the UK.
With the new series kicking off last night when ten brand new famous faces including Frankie Bridge, Richard Madeley and Danny Miller set foot in camp, you may be wanting to familiarise yourself with the castle, or it may be that this is your first introduction to the new location.
Join us on a little tour of Gwrych Castle which has proved itself to be the perfect location for I'm a Celeb, with just enough of the old and new to satisfy viewers and still keep things fresh.
I'm A Celeb's living quarters
As you enter the gates of the castle you are welcomed by a campfire circled by some rocks and logs. This is where the Celebs cook and relax after a long day of Bushtucker trials. You really couldn't get much more basic than this. Right from the get go, gone are all the comforts of home living (especially for the celebs).
As well as providing a much needed source of food and heat, the living quarters are also home to the famous I'm a Celeb telephone box. This is a lovely touch, helping to bring the jungle to the UK.
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All the I'm A Celebrity winners EVER (slider)
1 of 202002: Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn was the first ever winner of I'm A Celeb back in 2002. He had a dramatic fall from grace in 2016 when he was sacked after 49 years working for the BBC, for failing to co-operate with the Jimmy Savile inquiry. He has since returned to the BBC and also hosts a podcast with Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson called Ricky and Tony's Pop Detectives.
2 of 202003: Phil Tufnell
Since winning I'm A Celeb in 2003, Tuffers had a long-running stint as team captain on A Question of Sport from 2008 until earlier this year. He also competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2009 and regularly appears on Test Match Special.
3 of 202004: Kerry Katona
What hasn't Kerry been up to since winning the show in 2004? After starring in a series of fly-on-the-wall reality shows called Kerry Katona: Crazy in Love, Kerry Katona: Whole Again and Kerry Katona: What's the Problem?, she's appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebs Go Dating. Kerry also briefly rejoined Atomic Kitten in 2012.
4 of 202004: Joe Pasquale
I'm A Celeb viewers were treated to not one but two series in 2004, with comedian Joe Pasquale inheriting the crown from Kerry Katona. These days, he continues to tour across the UK with his stand-up comedy shows. He also took part in the 2016 series of Tonight At The London Palladium on ITV and is the voice of Underdog, the cartoon dog mascot of National Accident Helpline.
5 of 202005: Carol Thatcher
The journalist and author lives in Switzerland with her partner Marco Grass. In 2016, Carol blocked a proposed statue of her late mother, the former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, because the sculptor had neglected to include the Baroness' key accessory: her handbag. This, among other things has driven a deep wedge between Carol and her twin brother Denis Thatcher.
6 of 202006: Matt Willis
After being crowned King of the Jungle in 2006, Matt and his Busted bandmate James Bourne formed a supergroup with McFly - brilliantly called McBusted. Matt and James then had a word with Charlie Simpson and got the band back together taking Busted back on tour with the original line-up, and releasing the song Coming Home. He's also starred in EastEnders and Birds Of A Feather. Currently, Matt is touring the UK in a production of the musical Waitress.
7 of 202007: Christopher Biggins
After winning I'm A Celeb in 2007, actor Christopher Biggins won Celebrity Come Dine With Me in 2009, took part in Celebrity MasterChef in 2014 and Celebrity Big Brother in 2016. Biggins continues to work in pantomimes and received the Lifetime Achievement award at The Great British Pantomime Awards in 2017.
8 of 202008: Joe Swash
Cheeky chap Joe Swash swapped EastEnders for the jungle and won the show in 2008. Since then, he's been all over TV and landed a job as host of the spin-off I'm A Celebrity: Extra Camp in 2009. Last year, he won Dancing On Ice and regularly pops up on daytime TV faves This Morning and Loose Women. He got engaged to 2010 Jungle Queen Stacey Solomon in 2019 and has also welcomed two children with her.
9 of 202009: Gino D'Acampo
The nation fell in love with Gino in 2009. Since winning the show, Gino is a regular fixture on TV screens from This Morning to Celebrity Juice and his Gino, Gordon and Fred shows with Gordon Ramsey and Fred Siriex.
10 of 202010: Stacey Solomon
After showing off her bubbly personality on The X Factor, Stacey Solomon entered the jungle and won the show in 2010. Since then, she's been a regular panelist on Loose Women, brought out her own book, welcomed two children and gotten engaged to Joe Swash.
11 of 202011: Dougie Poynter
McFly guitarist Dougie Poynter was crowned King of the Jungle ahead of TOWIE's Mark Wright in 2011. Since winning the crown, he's become a model and has created a new band, INK. He's still part of McFly though and regularly tours the country with the band.
12 of 202012: Charlie Brooks
EastEnders actress Charlie Brooks couldn't believe it when Ant and Dec announced her as the winner in 2012. She continued her role as Janine Butcher on the show until 2014 when she left to go to Paris and recently returned to Albert Square earlier this year after seven years away.
13 of 202013: Kian Egan
After 22 days in the jungle, Westlife star Kian Egan was crowned the King in 2013. He reunited with his Westlife bandmates in 2018 for an album and a tour. The boyband are also set to tour again next year and have a new album in the works.
14 of 202014: Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty
Retired world super bike racer Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty won over the viewing public in 2014. He hasn't been seen a huge amount since then, unfortunately.
15 of 202015: Vicky Pattison
Vicky Pattison showed a different side to her usual Geordie Shore antics, winning over the public and being crowned Queen of the Jungle in 2015. She since had a spot on the Loose Women panel, and even loved the jungle so much that she went back in for the Australian version in 2018, coming fourth place. She's since taken part in Celebrity MasterChef and Celebrity Coach Trip and also hosts her own podcast The Secret To.
16 of 202016: Scarlett Moffatt
Former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt was crowned Queen of the Jungle after winning the show in 2016. She's since had plenty of presenting roles and had a regular spot on the I'm A Celeb spin-off show alongside Joe Swash until it was axed in 2019.
17 of 202017: Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo
Made In Chelsea star Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo was crowned 2017's Queen of the Jungle after beating Jamie Lomas. She's since presented backstage at the National Television Awards, been a reporter for This Morning, starred on Celebrity Gogglebox with campmate Stanley Johnson and released her own clothing collection.
18 of 202018: Harry Redknapp
Football manager Harry Redknapp was crowned King of the Jungle in 2018, beating actors Emily Atack and John Barrowman to the top spot. He won over viewers with his heart melting praise of wife of nearly 60 years, Sandra. Harry and Sandra appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox the following year. They were most recently seen when their son Jamie married his girlfriend Frida Andersson-Lourie.
19 of 202019: Jacqueline Jossa
Since winning I'm A Celeb in 2019, former EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa has launched a number of clothing collections with In The Style.
20 of 202020: Giovanna Fletcher
Giovanna Fletcher was crowned the first ever Queen of the Castle last year and recently announced that she was replacing Lily Allen in West End show 2:22 – A Ghost Story. She's also just released a new novel called Walking On Sunshine.
I'm A Celeb's sleeping quarters
The sleeping quarters aren't much better in the way of comfort (which is something you would ideally want from somewhere you're supposed to be sleeping in). The wooden beds are hard and uncomfortable and the hammocks are both fewer in number and easier to fall out of in the night.
To be honest though, the celebs will be so exhausted from the daytime activities they'll be able to sleep anywhere. Then again, at least they're not sleeping outside...
I'm A Celeb's washroom
The washroom is perhaps the least luxurious of all the rooms (and that's really saying something). The "shower" is actually just a metal watering can attached to a water pipe and it takes two to use this shower, with one celeb having to operate a pump by hand whilst another washes.
To supply hot water to the washroom, the celebs will have to keep the boiler going with logs from the wood drop, a challenge indeed.
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I'm A Celeb's courtyard
The courtyard acts as a bit of much needed outdoor space for the cast. It really delivers on the ambience of the setting, with views of the sky and an old well in the centre. Like the living quarters, the courtyard has a fire pit. Most importantly, the courtyard is home to the toilet (if you can even call it that), meaning the cast must pass through whenever they need to use it, which must be pretty scary at night.
I'm A Celeb's toilet
You will find the toilet in the courtyard. This toilet really is the bare minimum you could expect from one. Not to mention the fact it is outside and seemingly little more than a shed, which must mean it is freezing at night. Hopefully none of the celebs will have to use it in the night as the journey to and from the toilet in the dark must be both freezing and terrifying. And imagine if they run out of loo roll...
I'm A Celebs's boiler room
Next to the courtyard you will find the Boiler room. Here celebs must split logs using a log splitter and burn them to power the boiler. They also have to take turns keeping the fire lit so they can provide hot water for the shower and heat for the castle. A simple enough task, however when you consider the limited supply of logs this becomes a lot more challenging.
The celebs have to collect the logs from the log store, which is quite a walk from the castle itself. Forgetting to do so, however, will leave them without heat and hot water... in Wales. Not to mention the fact that the same logs need to be used in the fire pits around the castle. The celebs have to stay vigilant to keep the castle heated.
Finally the celebs also wash their clothes in this room - by hand of course because this isn't a hotel.
I'm A Celeb's lookout
The lookout really does what it says on the tin. From here the celebs can look out over the castle and its grounds, and the surrounding countryside. Here they can chat and have a much needed break from the trials of the day.
I'm A Celeb's kiosk
Viewers of previous series will remember Kiosk Kieth, the straight faced operator of the Outback Shack. He was sacked back in 2018 but fear not, his Welsh cousin Cledwyn has stepped in to run the castle's kiosk. As with the telephone box this brings a bit of the jungle to Wales, returning a fan favourite to the show.
I'm A Celeb's The Clink
Just when you thought camp couldn't get enter more basic, enter The Clink. Upon arriving in North Wales, the celebs were divided into two teams and told only one would be entering the main camp, while the others would set up digs in The Clink. Eventually, the red team - Snoochie Shy, Louise Minchin, Matty Lee, Kadeena Cox and Frankie Bridge - won the challenges and were allowed to stay in the slightly comfier main camp, while the yellow team - Danny Miller, Naughty Boy, Arlene Phillips, David Ginola and Richard Madeley - were forced to reside in The Clink.
Unlike the main camp, The Clink doesn't have beds which means the celebs are forced to sleep on the floor with just a blanket covering them from their dark, damp and dingy surroundings. There's also a small shower, which looks far from comfortable.
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How does the Gwrych Castle compare?
Whilst Gwrych Castle isn't quite as wild as the show's original setting, this new location comes with new challenges to keep the formula fresh, such as keeping dry and warm. In the original series you wouldn't have to worry about keeping warm in the scorching Aussie heat. There's also a really interesting atmosphere to the castle (and maybe even a few ghosts to contend with) and the new tasks that come with living there have really shaken up the show, making for some great telly.
It helps that they've brought all the grossness and creepy crawlies from Australia, and the kiosk and telephone box bring with them an extra bit of familiarity.
But from this castle tour what do you reckon? could you see yourself living there? We reckon it needs a lot of renovation done to it before you could even consider moving in... starting with that sorry excuse of a shower.