I’M A Celebrity’s new Welsh castle was once considered a dangerous death trap where people were banned from going. ITV bosses have confirmed that the new camp will be the “haunted” ruins of Gwrych Castle in North Wales. It was once considered to be highly dangerous with the local council issuing a warning to residents to […]
I’M A Celebrity’s new Welsh castle was once considered a dangerous death trap where people were banned from going.
ITV bosses have confirmed that the new camp will be the “haunted” ruins of Gwrych Castle in North Wales.
It was once considered to be highly dangerous with the local council issuing a warning to residents to stay away when the building started to crumble.
The upcoming series will take place in Wales instead of Australia after lockdown restrictions made planning the show in its usual Australian location almost impossible — with internal borders closed Down Under.
Despite the enforced changes, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, both 44, will return to host the family-favourite TV show.
The building has undergone extensive maintenance work in recent years to make it safe after it fell into a state of disrepair.
It had been a public attraction up until the late 1980s but the buildings assets were later stripped out and the castle became subject to vandalism and looting.
In the early 1990s officials warned residents to stay away after emergency services were called to the grounds following an incident.
A passer-by reported hearing the sound of falling masonry and screaming children.
Despite no confirmed cases, a warning was issued by Conwy County Council to keep residents away for their own safety.
Conway’s former assistant director of planning, Peter Detheridge, said at the time: “The incident does reinforce the fact that Gwrych Castle is in a very dangerous condition and should not be approached by the public.
“We urge parents to warn their children of the dangers.”
Speaking at the time, divisional officer Richard Jennings of the region’s fire service added: “We are very concerned about anyone going to the castle.
“Under no circumstances should anyone go inside for any reason whatsoever because of the advanced state of dereliction.”
Earlier this month, The Sun revealed that the building was having emergency work to stop it from crumbling during filming.
Builders were called in to tackle “vertical cracking” in the central keep at Gwrych Castle.
ITV are understood to have paid £1million to use the castle for six weeks — with blueprints detailing the damage in the stone walls and towers.
A post on its Facebook page on Monday read: “Day one of our planned emergency works to conserve the central keep at the castle.
“This area is a mix of medieval timbers and Georgian masonry.”
Huge cranes and workers were again spotted in action at the 19th Century castle near Abergele, North Wales.
Celebrities such as Tiger King star Carole Baskin, 59, Family Fortunes’ host Vernon Kay, 46, and former Strictly pro AJ Pritchard, 25, are all set to brave freezing winter temperatures to be crowned King or Queen of the castle.
They will be forced to chow down on sheep’s balls instead of kangaroo testicles.
As well as living in the crumbling relic, the campmates could also be visited by a ghost rumoured to haunt the castle. The eerie ruins are said to be stalked by the spectre of previous owner, the Countess of Dundonald.
A floating woman in white has been reported by visitors — and she is said to be angry her husband stripped the castle of valuables.
A chilling photo taken there ten years ago shows a pale, shadowy young woman on the first floor — in what used to be a banquet hall.
