“We really blamed those poor, poor celebrities” | Television tonight

Every year, 10 sets the minds (and the media) racing with their favorite celebrity guessing game I’m a celebrity, get me out of here.

This year they include a Hollywood Sitcom Star, Soap Royalty, a Master Chef, a Jungle Princess, a Stand-Up Comedian, a ’90s Pop Star, a Reality Bridezilla, a Radio Queen, a Reality TV Bad Boy, a AFL A-Lister, one Logie Winning actor, international supermodel and a Rugby League Romeo.

Luke Bateman, who fits this latest clue, is the only confirmed name so far, but more will be announced this weekend ahead of Sunday’s premiere.

Keeping in mind that the series has regularly entertained TV faces Love Island, Married at First Sight and UK Reality, here are a few other rumors for your bingo card: Rebekah Elmaloglou, George Calombaris and Barry Williams, aka ‘Greg Brady’, anyone?

After Maureen McCormack in S1, he would ensure that there was a Brady in our garden for the second time.

“I’m not commenting!” Tamara Simoneau VP Content, Paramount Australia responds in response to those names.

“But we love the guessing games, and we love that people talk about them even if they get it right, because you come to check to make sure you got it right… Some of the clues are really obvious for a reason, because it has to be a winnable guessing game.”

10’s pitch against the power of the Australian Open and first weeks of Married at first sight And Australian Idol is family-friendly, spectacular trials, gruesome food challenges and tea-spilling celebrities.

This year’s season, apart from the winner, is all in the can, filmed in South Africa ahead of Christmas. More about that later…

“We really blamed those poor, poor celebrities and Robert and Julia say it in the first part of the show, I think… this is the toughest season ever. I’m not just saying it, it’s true!”

“All the things will still be there. The horrible food tests that result are hilarious to watch, but horrible to experience, I’m sure,” she continues.

“There are terrifying trials like we’ve had this past year, where people have really been pushed to the very edge of their limits and they have to decide whether they’re going to make a leap or not, metaphorically and factually. And out of all that, which is the sheer joy of the show, you see those moments when people push through what seems like the impossible, and they triumph.

“But there’s also a lot of big reveals, some things that we as producers may have known about on the DL, but other things that had our jaws on the floor about what was revealed in Camp Fire chats… You’ve got a little bit of everything. There’s a lot of tea spilled, there’s some really big moments of drama and of course a lot of fun too.”

Clashing circumstances and worlds often create unexpected character arcs in the series.

“Some people start out as best friends, and then it changes, and some people start judging each other outside the door, judging books by the cover, and then realizing they might really like someone, and they walk out of the jungle as best friends for life. So that’s all part of the beauty, of the beauty,” Simoneau says.

“I think Denise Drysdale and Callum became best friends two years ago and no one saw that coming. They are still good friends outside the show.”

This year, season 10 will be shown for 5 weeks.

Simoneau says pre-taping the series gives the network more flexibility in how the show is post-produced and the way the story develops.

“If people think they know I’m a celebrity, get me out of here and how it will roll out…this year will be different. Things will happen along the way that will shock people,” she teases.

“Pre-shooting gives us a chance editorially to spice things up a bit…We don’t have to follow a 24-hour turnaround and rely so much on a formula…that’s actually been a superpower for this season, and viewers will really notice that.”

But if it is pre-recorded (which was done during the 2021 Covid season), does that also mean the public doesn’t vote celebrities into trials, or remove them from the show?

“That will all be part of the toughest season yet. People will have to watch to see that… each season has its own twist to the way they play. But the good news is that for everyone who likes to vote, Australia will still vote for the winner.”

That also means multiple endings were filmed with the last celebrities standing.

“We could have done it a different way, but we wanted Australia to make the choice, so we designed the show so that the most important choice, which is who is the King or Queen of the Jungle, is made by the fans,” she explains.

“Once we get to the heart of the matter and the pointy end of the season, Australia will come in and vote for the winner.”

Simoneau denies that the recordings were intended to cut costs, or even to circumvent Robert Irwin’s much-sought commitments.

“It wasn’t about Robert’s January,” she insists. “The move was a priority, it was an editorial choice.

“We’ve given ourselves a few weeks to assess: ‘How editorially can we take this show now so that it’s the most interesting and dynamic for the audience?’”

That includes giving the network the option to show the show from Sunday to Wednesday, avoiding celebrities being left in the camp without a trial waiting for Live to Air episodes.

On air it will still have all the DNA the show is famous for, with celebrities being put through the wringer, nasty critters and terrifying trials presented by the bubbly Julia Morris and the always cheerful Robert Irwin.

“There are quite a few jaw-dropping moments and a lot of tea spilled. I can’t give too much away because that’s the beauty of this show. Robert and Julia are on good form and very funny, and actually really enjoying the fact that they’re taking this crew through an area we haven’t been to before,” she continues.

“There is probably more drama than there has been in the camp in many years.

“It’s really twisty and twisty, and the celebrities will experience things that no other celebrity cast has experienced before on this show, making for an excellent ride for viewers.”

But let’s cut to the chase. Will Irwin go shirtless in front of cameras again? Does he get into the water?

“Hmm, is he going into the water?” Simoneau ponders.

“There are some very interesting and funny costumes they get into. I’m trying to remember if he takes off his gear. I don’t think so….”

I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here airs Sunday to Wednesday at 10.