Major TV networks are reportedly battling behind the scenes to be the new home for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
On Thursday, a published article from industry site TV Blackbox reported that Ten’s US parent company Paramount had pulled the plug on the series after more than a decade on air.
While Ten later denied the reports and said “no decision” had yet been made about the future of the show, fresh claims have emerged that rival networks are fighting it out to win the rights to air the show.
According to SkyNews.com.au, Channel Nine would likely push for the series to return to a live format if they secured the rights.
“They believe live television creates unpredictability and social media buzz,” explains the insider. “That’s where Nine thinks the franchise could feel fresh again.”
“Nine lives for a cross-promotion,” continued the insider. “They would absolutely stack the cast with recognisable Nine personalities.”
However, if Seven were to bag the show, the insider added that it could mean the end of Julia Morris and Rob Irwin as presenters.
“The names doing the rounds are Ricki-Lee Coulter and Kate Ritchie,” reveals the insider, adding: “Seven wants somebody warm, funny and commercially appealing.”
I’m A Celebrity has long been a favourite with viewers, who adore following a host of celebrities as they head into the jungle to face terrifying challenges with the goal of winning $100,000 for their chosen charity.
As a reported budget cuts measure, Season 12 of I’m A Celeb – which aired in January and February this year over a five-week period – was prerecorded rather than filmed live in the South African jungle.
This allowed episodes to be filmed back-to-back without the need to fork out extra costs to accommodate cast and crew over a prolonged filming period.
Season 12, which starred both local and international celebrities such as George Calombaris, Gary Sweet, Rachel Hunter and The Brady Bunch star Barry Williams, reportedly opened with a solid 925,000 viewers tuning in.
However, viewership numbers quickly dropped given the change in audience interaction in evictions and challenges due to the prerecording of episodes. The series finale only managed to draw 571,000, down from 651,000 in 2025.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.news.com.au ’
