I'm A Celeb drops 6.2 million viewers as fans switch off over 'too nice' contestants
The current 20th season of I'm A Celeb launched to a record high of 14.3 million viewers on November 15 – but only 8.1 million tuned in to watch the first live eviction two weeks later
Video Loading
Click to play
Tap to play
The video will start in8Cancel
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! has seen it’s audience viewing figures nosedive since the latest series launched two weeks ago – with over 6 million tuning off by the time of the first eviction.
The long-running reality celebrity popularity contest is now in it’s 20th season – launching the first ever series to film in the UK on November 15 from Gwrych Castle in Wales.
The show launched with a record breaking 14.3 million viewers tuning in to watch stars including Vernon Kay, Sir Mo Farah and Victoria Derbyshire enter the reportedly haunted castle – the highest viewing figures for a launch show in I’m A Celeb history.
But, the Mail on Sunday claims, ratings have dropped by 6.2 million to 8.1 million viewers less than two weeks later when Paralympian Hollie Arnold became the first to be eliminated from the 2020 series on Friday night.
The drop in viewing figures comes amid complaints the contestants are being “too nice”.
The Mail on Sunday quotes Piers Morgan slating the show, with him grumbling: “I’m all for the entire #imacelebrity group sobbing away as they tell each how special they all are… as a special SPECIAL group… but could someone please start being a complete t*** to shake things up a bit?”
Sources at ITV have also been quoted by the Mail on Sunday as staring the series would be “softer and nicer” this year in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The source claims bosses are being mindful of stressed out members of the public being distressed by feuds while most of the UK is in lockdown.
Meanwhile, a source for ITV has denied there is a ratings crisis in the current series – stating that 1.2 million extra viewers had tuned in compared to the same point of the series in 2019.
A spokesman added: “It's clear that this year's I'm A Celebrity is hugely popular with audiences.”
The current series is being filmed in Wales after the coronavirus pandemic made filming in the traditional Australian jungle an impossibility.
There has been some controversy around the latest series – with wildlife experts complaining to police that the show could end up releasing non native insects into the Welsh countryside by accident.
MirrorCeleb