Welcome to the jungle, celebrities.
Last night saw the premiere of Channel Ten’s newest venture into the wilderness ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!’. From comedians to bikini-clad models, former cricketing legends and children’s television presenters, stars from all walks of life have been dropped into South Africa to fend for themselves.
By Kate-Marie Thorpe
The show, modelled off the British original of the same name, will see these 10 celebrities tough it out in the wilderness while completing challenges such as being covered in elephant dung or wrangling a snake for supper, if the Brit version is anything to go by. Allowing for no creature comforts, the first challenge will be surviving in a dirt-floor camp surrounded by serpents and scorpions – without a hair straightener in sight.
So just who will we be watching squirm and struggle through the first series? Meet the ‘celebrities’ brave enough to put their hands up:
Andrew Daddo, 47
Celebrity Status: TV presenter, corporate speaker and children’s book author.
Why We’ll Love Him: We’ve watched him for years onscreen presenting the Olympics, travel and morning shows, so we’re hoping for some inside commentary from base camp along the way.
Barry Hall, 37
Celebrity Status: Former AFL forward for the Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs.
Why We’ll Love Him: Will ‘Big Bad Bazza’ be able to live up to his name, or will he bolt at the first sign of spiders? Stay tuned…
Chrissie Swan, 41
Celebrity Status: author/columnist/presenter/Silver Logie winner. Runner-up in the reality show Big Brother in 2003.
Why We’ll Love Her: If there’s anyone who will keep the camp sane (Remember: there’s no wifi in the wilderness), our money is on Ms Swan.
Joel Creasey, 24
Celebrity Status: Comedian who opened for the late Joan Rivers in the New York Comedy Festival.
Why We’ll Love Him: Joel is the young gun with all the laughs, and has the potential to outwit and outrun his fellow celebs.
Lauren Brandt, 25
Celebrity Status: Former member of children’s entertainment group Hi-5.
Why We’ll Love Her: Where there’s a campfire, there’s singing, so at least there will be a decent set of pipes around for the kumbaya’s.
Laura Dundovic, 28
Celebrity Status: Miss Universe Australia 2008. Host of reality TV show Dating in the Dark.
Why We’ll Love Her: Despite being a former beauty queen, knowing her way around a blackout may make her the dark horse of the competition.
Leisel Jones, 29
Celebrity Status: Four-time Olympian. Retired from professional swimming in 2012 to give motivational talks.
Why We’ll Love Her: When the going gets tough, Leisel will be the leader of the pack with her fierce determination and inspirational speeches.
Maureen McCormick, 58
Celebrity Status: Best known for playing the role of Marcia Brady in 1970s American sitcom The Brady Bunch.
Why We’ll Love Her: A far cry from the suburban Brady home, we’re all secretly hoping for a ‘Marcia Marcia Marcia!’ meltdown.
Merv Hughes, 53
Celebrity Status: Former Australian fast bowler with 212 career wickets.
Why We’ll Love Him: Famous for his well-maintained moustache, we’ll keep a close eye on Mo’ Growth as we go deeper into the jungle with Merv.
Tyson Mayr, 29
Celebrity Status: Underwear model and professional traveller.
Why We’ll Love Him: All those steamy outdoor shower scenes better make their way to our screens. Feel free to look up his former campaigns for a taste of what’s to come.
Obviously the term “celebrity” has been marketed quite heavily, but even some of the contestants hadn’t a clue what they were there for. In the first episode, some contestants had clearly never heard of each other.
“We wanted people from all different walks of celebrity life,” Ten’s Head of Entertainment Stephen Tate said. “They’re all different fan bases that we’re hoping to attract to the show.”
So are the celebrities regretting their decision to be thrown headfirst into the jungle? Not likely, if these reports are true. Some celebrities are reportedly being paid about $60,000 a week, which is more than what a few would make in their daily lines of work. Where can we sign up?
Image Source: Sunshine Coast Daily
