ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’s 2024 season may have only kicked off last night but fans have already slammed the show after a technical issue left many viewers unable to vote.
Sunday night’s opening episode featured well-known faces such as footballer’s spouse Coleen Rooney, pop sensation Danny Jones from McFly, Dancing On Ice’s Oti Mabuse and N-Dubz’s Tulisa Contostavlos taking their first steps into the jungle.
In an introductory task, the celebs paired up to race into camp, with Tulisa and soap actor Alan Halsall bagging the top spot, which saved them from the public vote leading to the Vile Volcano challenge.
However, voting glitches caused frustration among viewers, instigating a flurry of complaints across social media platforms, the Mirror reports.
Disgruntled comments included one viewer stating “It wont let me votee #ImACeleb” complete with a sad emoji face. Another expressed annoyance with “Omg is anyone else’s voting crashing because we’re all rushing to vote for GK Barry…#ImACeleb.”
A third peeved fan asked: “Is the voting app thing not working for anyone else? #imaceleb.” Others were also unimpressed with the personal data required by the show’s voting app, prompting a frustrated reaction from one viewer: “F**KING HELL IVE DOWNLOADED THE APP WHY DO I NEED TO PUT IN MY PHONE NUMBER TO VOTE #ImACeleb.”
Despite some complaints, the majority of viewers praised the opening episode of the 2024 season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! with many claiming it was the best start to a season they had seen in years. One delighted viewer took to X to write: “#ImACeleb smashed it with this opening episode” – accompanied by a gif of judges holding up score cards marked 10.
Another viewer enthused: “It hasn’t even been an hour and this season is already a STRONG contender for best season in at least 10 years #ImACeleb.” Yet another fan chimed in with: “This is one of the best first episodes of #ImACeleb ever. Good job producers.”
Shortly after the new series began, experts used computers and artificial intelligence to predict the likely winner of the show.
The team at Heart Bingo analysed a wealth of data, including public appeal and fanbase, personality and likeability, ability to handle challenges, drama and conflict, resilience and adaptability, public opinion and media coverage, group dynamics, and strategic game play.
Interestingly, the individual who emerged as the frontrunner was the mastermind behind the Wagatha Christie court case.
Christopher Wilkie, Digital Marketing Manager for Heart Bingo, disclosed: “With this year’s I’m A Celeb line-up starting tonight, the battle to be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle is on and our supercomputer has predicted that Coleen Rooney will be the next star to sit on the jungle throne.
“According to our AI analysis, Rooney’s blend of fame, resilience, and strong media appeal positions her as the top contender to win this year’s series, ahead of Oti Mabuse and Maura Higgins.
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“Danny Jones is the leading hope for the male campmates along with Coronation Street star Alan Halsall, both of whom have been predicted to finish in the top five. The supercomputer certainly didn’t take a liking to Dean McCullough’s profile though, as he is predicted to be the first to leave the jungle, closely followed by the two Barry’s, McGuigan and GK! “
TV enthusiasts have already been captivated by the early bonds forming on the show – with many expressing delight at Tulisa’s budding friendship with Corrie’s Alan. One fan commented on X: “Tulisa and Tyrone are the friendship I never knew I needed @imacelebrity #imacelebrity.”
Meanwhile, another viewer is eager to see different pairings for trials, with a request circulating: “I REALLY need a GK Barry and Dean joint trial #imaceleb #imacelebrity.”
The first thrilling episode saw the celebrities face a fresh trial as soon as they all arrived in camp. Tulisa and Alan, the winners of the initial challenge, had the task of picking two stars to endure a trial that involved being shut in a mausoleum with snakes.
They were required to unlock stars amidst the serpents within a time limit. Ex-boxer Barry McGuigan and McFly’s Danny were chosen by the leaders for the daunting task. Despite the enthusiasm from both gents, Barry found it difficult to free the padlocked stars.
Meanwhile, Danny succeeded, managing to unlock all of his stars even though he had a close encounter with one snake that wriggled straight into his shorts, cuddling up against his private parts.
After the trial ended and having the snake removed from his trousers, the pop star exclaimed: “That’s the most vulnerable I’ve ever felt in my life.”
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