I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here makes major change for first time in its 17 year history

im celebrity major change first time
(Image credit: ITV)

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here has made a major change.

Ahead of its nineteenth series kicking off this evening, the network has revealed that it is making TWO major changes to the show.

And it’s good news for anyone who gets squeamish at the eating trials.

It has been confirmed that this year’s run of the hit ITV series will see a change to its famous Bushtucker trials.

One of the most well-known trials in the series (apart from the infamous Celebrity Cyclone of course) is the eating trial.

MORE: The full line-up for I’m A Celebrity 2019 has been confirmed – see it here!

Contestants are tasked to eat a whole stream of extremely unappetising delights, including a selection of live bugs.

But this year will see the live bugs taken off the menu.

Competitors will not be asked to eat any living thing as the programme has received numerous complaints over the years claiming that the trial is cruel to insects.

One of the highest number of complaints came in when former The Only Way Is Essex star Ferne McCann appeared on the show back in 2015.

im celebrity major change first time

I'm A Celeb revealed their full line-up for this series last week (Credit: ITV)

After receiving almost 1,200 complaints when the reality star was tasked to eat a live water spider, an ITV spokesperson responded, “I'm a Celebrity complies with all regional and national laws concerning the use of insects in the eating trials, which have become a well-established part of the show over the past 15 years”.

And the lack of live bugs is not the only change to be introduced this year.

Show producers have revealed that, for the first time in the show’s 17-year run, the camp will have no fire in it.

In a huge change to the show’s format, a specially-made gas stove will be introduced in place of the camp fire.

MORE: Ferne McCann admits she ignored warning signs of incontinence after developing the condition after giving birth

This is in response to the blazing bush fires that have been sweeping the area.

“In light of the current situation in Australia, I'm A Celebrity will not feature an open camp fire,” an ITV spokesperson told Express.co.uk.

“Instead, campmates will cook their food and boil their water on a specially made gas stove.”

Catch the new series on ITV tonight at 9pm!

Aleesha Badkar
Lifestyle Writer

Aleesha Badkar is a lifestyle writer who specialises in health, beauty - and the royals. After completing her MA in Magazine Journalism at the City, the University of London in 2017, she interned at Women’s Health, Stylist, and Harper’s Bazaar, creating features and news pieces on health, beauty, and fitness, wellbeing, and food. She loves to practice what she preaches in her everyday life with copious amounts of herbal tea, Pilates, and hyaluronic acid.