'I'm a Celebrity' 2021: Review
It’s been a one-of-a-kind season for ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’, which wrapped on Sunday night, as Emmerdale star Danny Miller was crowned the show’s first-ever King of the Castle.
ITV’s seasonal sensation was back on our screens, with twelve new famous faces ready to endure freezing cold temperatures in 200-year-old Gwrych Castle, the program’s temporary Welsh whereabouts while COVID marks the Australian jungle off-limits for a second year.
ITV’s Head of Entertainment Commissioning Katie Rawcliffe said: “We’ve always said we have contingencies in place for the series if the COVID situation continued to bring uncertainty, and after a highly successful run at the castle last year, we’re pleased we can return there.”
Gwyrch Castle in North Wales, where the show has taken place since 2020
Joining us for their twenty-first season, co-hosts Ant and Dec kept viewers in stitches with their cheeky jabs at Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The Geordie duo’s nightly ‘Evening Prime Minister?’ bid to Johnson even caught the attention of Labour leader Keir Starmer, who declared the pair ‘ahead of the Prime Minister’ during last week’s PM questions.
Labour leader Keir Starmer referred to the hosting duo while questioning Boris Johnson on Downing Street Christmas parties
Illuminating the castle’s gloomy halls were this year’s celebrity hopefuls, including Olympic diver Matty Lee; ballroom maven and former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judge Arlene Phillips; and recently retired BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin, whose appearance on the show signals an end to her morning television career.
Broadcaster Louise Minchin placed seventh on this year’s series
Former footballer David Ginola quickly emerged as a fan-favourite; his no-nonsense French attitude and fatherly role around camp earned him five stars in the eyes of the viewers, who branded his elimination a ‘fix’ when the sports-star shockingly placed fourth, just a near-miss away from the final.
Soap icons Simon Gregson and Adam Woodyatt, best known for their long-running roles in Coronation Street and EastEnders respectively, were this year’s late arrivals. Hitting the ground running, the pair got to spend their first days in camp as ‘Lords of the Castle’, which gave them exemption from chores and meant the other celebs would cater to their every need. Woodyatt finished sixth, while Gregson made it to the final.
Adam Woodyatt portrayed Ian Beale on EastEnders for 35 years
Music producer Naughty Boy kept viewers – and campmates – on their toes this year. The 44-year-old’s uptight attitude, never-ending squabbles, and over-the-top reactions earned him a spot in the public’s bad books, who voted the hit-maker out fourth, and subjected him to seven tough bushtucker trials.
In an interview with The Independent, Naughty Boy revealed that despite his lukewarm reception, the show had helped him out. He said: “I overcame so many fears - snakes, heights, enclosed spaces - and all these things that I thought that I've never overcome, so I'm grateful for that.”
Outside influences had a bigger impact on this series than ITV could’ve anticipated. Richard Madeley, who allegedly cost £200,000 in appearance fees, was forced out of the show on medical grounds early on. The star was rendered unable to return, as his trip to the hospital was a breach of the programme’s ‘safety bubble.’ In an interview with Ant and Dec, he said: “If it wasn’t for COVID, I’d still be in the game. I’m gutted.”
Madeley pictured in London days after departing from the castle
Storm Arwen turned the show on its head when it braced the nation last November. The cyclone left thousands of Brits without power, and put the series on halt, as the celebrities were removed from Gwyrch Castle to be holed up in socially distanced hotel rooms, while the storm passed. Arwen’s 70mph winds wrecked production tents and blew a 100ft tree into the castle walls.
Storm Arwen’s impact left 30,000 UK households without power, according to the BBC
The star-studded bunch were immediately dropped into a tricky situation, divided into teams of haves and have-nots, with the latter banished to the dark, dingy ‘Castle Clink’ – a reclused section of the building that pushed Arlene Phillips and Naughty Boy to the verge of quitting just a few days in.
Bushtucker trials were as scary as ever this year, as contestants took part in torturous challenges for food. Highlights included David Ginola and Danny Miller’s ‘Drawbridge Over Troubled Water’; Naughty Boy’s oddly melodic screams when faced against creepy-crawlies; and, of course, the iconic ‘Celebrity Cyclone’, which the final four earned themselves a three-course meal for completing.
But food wasn’t the only thing at stake this year, the celebrities were to compete in challenges that would tug on their heartstrings. An intense ‘coding’ task gave the celebs full responsibility over each other’s letters from home, blessing us with this wholesome moment between the campmates.
The final three had been whittled down to Loose Women panelist and former Saturdays member Frankie Bridge, who came third; this year’s comic-relief, Simon Gregson; and reigning champion, Danny Miller, whose Manchester charm and hilariously one-sided bromance with David Ginola endeared the public.
This year’s champ Danny Miller, whose newborn son was only three weeks old when he left for the show
Miller thanked the viewers who voted for him during an interview with Ant and Dec. He said: “From the bottom of my heart and my family’s heart, thank you so much.”
According to ITV voting figures released earlier in the week, Miller beat Gregson to the crown by a close 10%.