Fans of I’m A Celebrity were left scratching their heads on Tuesday evening when presenters Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly were mysteriously absent from the spin-off series, Unpacked.
As viewers noticed that campmate Tulisa was missing from the ITV2 show hosted by Joel Dommett, they quickly realised that Ant and Dec were also conspicuously absent. The duo usually make an appearance on Unpacked right after presenting the main show on ITV1, where they chat about the latest jungle developments and the most recent evictee.
However, on Tuesday, Joel did not say anything about their absence, and the pair did not feature at all.
The confusion came shortly after Dec announced that the vote had been closed and would not reopen, leaving fans uncertain if Wednesday’s episode would include an elimination. With speculation rife among viewers, Dec hinted at “a massive surprise” coming up on Wednesday night, yet he and Ant failed to show up on Unpacked.
Perplexed fans took to social media seeking explanations for the unexpected no-show, reports the Mirror.
One viewer exclaimed: “I need answers,” while another questioned: “No Ant and Dec tonight, and no Tulisa… what’s going on? ” Another fan remarked on the oddity, saying: “It’s a bit strange that Ant and Dec haven’t had their little chat with Joel like they normally do too.”
A fourth viewer expressed confusion, remarking: “No Ant and Dec, hmmm very odd.”
Additional commentary arose with another querying: “Why didn’t Ant and Dec appear? ” while a sixth comment read: “Hang on… are Ant and Dec not on Unpacked tonight??” The flow of inquiries continued with one saying: “I only watch Unpacked for Ant and Dec,” as yet another probed: “Also, where is Ant and Dec? !”
This wave of questions came amid speculation about a cancelled public vote. Dec told viewers: “We are not reopening the vote for tomorrow because we’ve got a massive surprise for them. More will be revealed in tomorrow’s show.”
Fans took to social media to speculate, with one suggesting: “No vote tomorrow because Houdini is returning,” pointing at previously eliminated contestant Dean McCullough. Another viewer offered their guess: “The twist is definitely either no one’s out (which I doubt), or camp vote, but camp vote kinda seems obvious.”
Echoing similar sentiments, a third chimed in: “What’s this surprise twist? The campers can vote against each other over the normal public vote.”
A further prediction was shared by another fan saying: “The big surprise will probably be a free for all head to head and the bottom either go or go up for a quick vote. That’s my prediction anyway.”
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! airs Mondays-Sundays at 9pm on ITV1