A TV insider has revealed the behind the scenes battle that Australia’s biggest networks fought to gain the rights to air a new series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Network 10 announced back in May that it had decided to axe the iconic reality series from its schedule, giving rivals the chance to bid for the show.
Following weeks of rumours regarding its future, it was revealed earlier this month that Seven had beaten off stiff competition and poached the show for itself.
The news came almost two months after Ten confirmed I’m A Celeb would not be part of its 2027 line-up, but had insisted the show was simply being “rested” rather than axed for good.
Now, a TV insider has revealed what went down behind the scenes as rival networks fought tooth and nail for the hugely popular show.
“Nine genuinely wanted the show,” the TV insider told Sky News.
“They saw it as a proven tentpole that could comfortably sit between two of their biggest franchises and give audiences another major event series.”
The source claims that Nine’s pitch for the show may have seen the it moved back Down Under as a prerecorded series.
Viewers notably complained about the latest series being prerecorded, with many taking to social media while the season was airing to share their grievances with the format.
It wasn’t only Nine that was interested in reviving the show, however.
The insider claims that Ten ended up having second thoughts about axing the show, and at the eleventh hour “realised what they’d lost”.
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It’s believed one of the problems for Ten was finding the right talent for a new series after “exhausting their established pool of talent” with previous seasons.
“They’d already used a significant portion of their established talent pool,” one source alleged.
“Finding enough recognisable personalities who hadn’t already appeared on the show was becoming increasingly difficult.”
As the power struggle for the show went on, Seven reportedly came in with the “strongest” vision for the franchise, which has been declining in popularity in recent years after becoming a somewhat stale format.
Seven reportedly pitched a “refreshed” version for the iconic show, with plans to draw from it’s array of in-house talent.
When the network announced that it would be taking over the franchise, a spokesperson for the broadcaster teased that it plans to bring a “fresh energy” to the ageing show.
“I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is one of the world’s most recognisable entertainment formats and we’re incredibly excited to welcome it to Seven in 2027,” said Southern Cross Media Group’s Managing Director, Television and Streaming, Angus Ross.
“This is a proven franchise with a passionate fan base and we look forward to bringing our own fresh energy and ambition to its next chapter.”