ITV splashed £2.1m on signing stars for I’m A Celebrity – one of the biggest bills in the show’s 20-year history

thesun.co.uk:

ITV has splurged £2.1million on signing famous faces for this year’s I’m A Celebrity — one of the biggest bills in the show’s 20-year history.

Bosses wanted to ensure the new series, which kicked off last night, had a sensational line-up for its return to Australia. Whereas most series only have one or two expensive signings, this time the bill has been swollen by a string of pricey celebs heading into the jungle.

A TV insider said: “This is a huge amount but ITV see coughing up this kind of cash as a worthwhile investment for the right blend of characters. “Producers know that the right combination of stars will get viewers tuning in and staying with the show over the next three weeks — but that costs serious money. “They’re also aware of the fact that the show has been stuck in the UK for the past two years due to Covid — and they wanted to make a huge impact as it returns to Oz.

READ MORE ON I'M A CELEBRITY'GET ME OUT OF HERE' I'm A Celeb finally underway as stars battle it out to rule the jungleBACK TO THE CASTLE Here's when you can watch I'm A Celebrity 2022 TONIGHT “The show has delivered some classic jungle moments in the past thanks to the clever selection of big ticket celebrities and they want to do everything they can to repeat that in 2022. “So they’ve shrewdly gone for famous faces who might have juicy stories to tell during the long nights round the campfire.” Almost half the bill came from signing just two contestants.