I’m A Celeb’s Ant McPartlin arrives in Australia to kick off show as full line-up is revealed
ANT McPartlin says he can’t wait to be reunited with Declan Donnelly as he landed on Australia’s Gold Coast ahead of the new series of I’m A Celebrity.
Ant looked well rested and ready for action as he was seen for the first time Down Under when he landed at Brisbane Airport ready to begin work on the new series.
Grinning, he told the Sun: “I can’t wait to be reunited with Dec.”
He added that he was going to “run into his arms” and is “really excited for this year’s cast”.
The star-studded line-up has been praised by fans and features the likes of Nigel Farage, Josie Gibson, Jamie Lynn Spears and Marvin Humes.
Ant, who landed without wife Anne-Marie, comes hot on the heels of Declan Donnelly, who grinned as he was spotted for the first time Down Under on Friday.
Wearing sunglasses despite dodging a downpour, Dec, 48, was dressed down for a stroll with his wife Ali Astall, 44.
The pair have checked in to their favourite spot on the Gold Coast, Cabarita Beach, ready for work to begin on the ITV hit show, which begins on November 19.
Dec and Ali have been married since August 2015 and are the proud parents to daughter Isla, five, and son Jack, 16 months – but there was no sign of the kids on their morning walk.
It comes as the crew were yesterday spotted performing tests on a brand new Bushtucker Trial at the Focus Building in Surfers Paradise, revealing the regular Walk The Plank challenge has been supersized for the new year.
Instead of wobbling along a straight plank some 100m in the air, celebrities will have to cling to a cylindrical metal pole after descending a ladder.
The show’s crew are scrambling to prepare the jungle site for the campmates, including erecting huge new trial areas featuring an Aztec temple and outdoor pool with six sunken cages.
The weather was so bad, the Aussie Bureau of Meteorology were forced to issue a shock warning for the area around Murwillumbah, where the ITV camp is based.
A source said: “Every minute counts at this stage of production, so even an hour stolen from the schedule is frustrating.
“The rain and wind has been strong – definitely not what people think of for the Gold Coast.”