I’m A Celebrity producer reveals extreme measures staff take to ensure contestants can’t escape camp
With tiny portions of rice and beans, three weeks of poor sleep and no fresh water, the I’m A Celebrity campmates are always on the verge of a mutiny.
And to prevent this, ITV bosses trap the stars with a drawbridge that cuts off their camp’s access to the famous bridges leading into the main production area.
It will only be lifted if Ant and Dec or the production crew enter the camp – the celebrities can’t tear it down themselves.
Longtime executive producer of A Celebrity, Olly Nash, told MailOnline: ‘We installed this drawbridge so the celebrities can’t get into the production room.
‘It was brought in after Anthony Worrel-Thompson and the rest of the camp rushed across the bridge to go into production during a major camp uprising due to the shortage of sausages.
“The drawbridge has been in place ever since to prevent this from happening again.”
With tiny portions of rice and beans, three weeks of poor sleep and no fresh water, the I’m A Celebrity campmates are always on the brink of a mutiny (Coleen Rooney, Jane Moore, GK Barry and Dean McCullough pictured)
And to prevent this, ITV bosses trap the stars with a drawbridge that cuts off their camp’s access to the famous bridges leading into the main production area (Oti Mabuse pictured).
In 2003, the show’s second series, the TV chef almost brought the ITV1 show to a standstill when he prompted the hungry group, including the likes of Strictly’s Toyah Wilcox and Daniella Westbrook, to get up and leave the camp after they had received – what they considered – insufficient food.
They were entitled to nine meals after ex-footballer John Fashanu put his head in several boxes containing eels, rats and spiders to collect the stars.
A furious Antony, now 73, led the group over the bridge leading out of the Australian jungle but was intercepted by the show’s producers.
“We’ve kept our end of the bargain, you’ll keep yours – nine sausages, I’m sorry, don’t make a meal,” he argued during a Bush Telegraph confrontation.
‘Nine pieces of cauliflower, 27 snow peas, two mushrooms, four kiwis and some nuts without a nutcracker.
‘What’s wrong with you? There are nine main meals. It’s less than 1,000 calories a day,” he continued.
Former EastEnders actress Danniella said angrily: ‘If he (Antony) served that in his restaurant for nine people he would be axed.’
Singer Toyah Wilcox said: ‘Fash has been through four trials and risked things – he’s almost been bitten and faced his fears, but there was no real reward at the end of it. Today we had a duff deal.”
The TV chef warned: ‘If we all walk out of here, you’re screwed. As far as I know, and I want to talk to my agent tomorrow morning, this show is about, if I’m a celebrity, get me out of here, and we’re all going to say it and we’re all going to leave tomorrow morning.
It will only be lifted if Ant and Dec or the production crew enter the camp – the celebrities can’t take it down themselves
Executive producer Olly Nash told MailOnline: ‘It was brought in after Anthony Worrel-Thompson and the rest of the camp stormed over the bridge’ (Anthony pictured)
Antony also tried to escape in an attempt to blackmail TV bosses into giving him four cigarettes and promising that the ten contestants would stay together.
“You are not going to separate us or split us… We are one unit and we go together,” he said. “There was a lark last night. This time it’s serious.’
After being restrained by the crew, the celebrities were eventually persuaded to accept an alternative meal worth the same amount of calories.
They returned to camp happier with meat, vegetables, potatoes and oranges.