Viewing figures of the first I’m A Celebrity 2022 episode up by TWO MILLION from last year

The first episode of the new I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! drew more than 10 million people at its peak on Sunday night – two million more than last year’s launch.

When the hit ITV show returned to the country’s screens from Australia for the first time since 2019, Ant and Dec were the biggest entertainment launch of any channel all year round.

Official figures have revealed that at the height of its first night, the show attracted 10.3 million TV viewers, with a total of 9.1 million watching the entire episode.

This makes I’m A Celeb ITV’s biggest nightly audience since last year’s Euros and the biggest program launch this year on any channel excluding national and sporting events.

The numbers are two million more than last year when the show was filmed at Gwrych Castle in Wales, as travel restrictions prevented the trip to Down Under.

With two million 16-34 TV viewers across the show, last night’s I’m A Celebrity is also the biggest 16-34 audience of the year on any program or channel.

Even the special I’m A Celebrity episode of The Masked Singer peaked Sunday night with 4.8 million viewers.

The figures are overnight TV ratings and do not include catch-up or streaming.

I’m a celebrity! Get me out of here… returned to the Australian outback for the first time in three years on Sunday night as 10 new camp mates arrived for the latest installment of the grueling ITV series.

It saw former Love Island star Olivia Attwood, 31, and radio legend Chris Moyles, 48, get a “once in a lifetime opportunity” as they faced the ultimate skydiving entrance.

Chris and Olivia were enjoying their meal when they received information that read: ‘Olivia and Chris, we hope you enjoyed your meal.

“Now it’s time to start your journey to camp and as VIPs you’re going to get a taste of the good life by jumping out of a helicopter at 10,000 feet.”

After she completed the jump first, an emotional Olivia said, “Oh my god, I’m crying, that’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever done, ever. That’s incredible. Top 10 experience of my life. Just fantastic.’

Taking in her surroundings, she added, “I didn’t expect to land on a beach — where the hell are we?”

Fresh off his jump and with her on the beach, Chris said, “I’m so happy to be on the ground. Seriously, I eat a sheep’s anus every day, instead of doing it again.’

As stars like Boy George and Chris Moyles embarked on their jungle journey, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly confirmed there will be two additional arrivals at the camp and mocked Tory MP Matt Hancock.

Viewers at home raved about the hit show’s comeback, admitting it felt like ‘normal service’ had resumed after filming returned to Australia after two years in North Wales.

Show fans were delighted to see the scenes set in Queensland, with many taking to Twitter to express their delight.

One person wrote: ‘I’m a Celebrity back in Australia, COVID is officially over. Unreal.’

Another person posted: ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Back On Our Screens And Back To Australia. Normality has resumed,” while someone else shared: “That was brilliant, I really enjoyed the first of the new series of I’m a Celebrity. Really missed that it wasn’t from Australia. Anyway #TeamGeorge to win!!’

Meanwhile, someone else shared: ‘I’m so happy to be a Celebrity back in Australia and happy to be back on TV, Ant and Dec the best’, while another person wrote: ‘Never thought I’d be like this. happy to see I’m a celebrity after not being in Australia for two years, but the altitude scares me, I was terrified in the cable car in Dubrovnik.”