I’m A Celebrity viewers were left horrified and with ‘skin absolutely crawling’ during what some called a ‘pure evil’ Bushtucker trial, leading up to an unprecedented camp moment for the current series.
Radio 1’s Melvin Odoom and Strictly star Oti Mabuse stepped forward from among the campmates to tackle the gruelling new trial. Their effort was remarkable, securing something no other celebs managed before a complete victory by winning all available stars.
In a twist from the usual public vote for who should face The Tanks of Torture, the audience instead voted for their favourite contestant as the series leads up to its first elimination.
Audiences at home watched in awe at their composed displays while being submerged underwater and dealing with containers of creepy-crawlies dumped onto their heads.
Fans of the ITV reality show were initially shocked by the tank alone, only to find themselves even more astounded when spiders were introduced into the helmet mix, reports the Express.
Presenters Ant and Dec detailed that the duo would be inside a massive tank; the celeb on the left needed to manoeuvre the stars along the wire to their right-side partner, who then had to get them onto the wire and into a star bag.
With a 12-minute countdown to retrieve all 12 stars, the pressure intensified as their water tanks filled with mud crabs, eels, crocodiles, and water dragons, and their headgear compartments received an addition of spiders and snakes.
Celebratory remarks came from Ant following their triumph: “You can now call yourselves the new king and queen of the Bushtucker Trial! “.
This marks the first time a celebrity or celebrities have clinched victory in all stars. Fellow radio DJ Dean McCullough has faced the most trials but has twice said the words “I’m a celebrity get me out of here”.
Fans at home were equally impressed, with one viewer posting on social media: “Melvin is so humble. I loved the way they smashed that trial and he didn’t try to overshadow Oti. He was just happy and enjoyed the way she presented the stars. They made a great team.”
Another chimed in: “Absolutely buzzing for Melvin and oti.. Well done you both you done amazing.”
As spiders were added, one fan exclaimed: “That is pure evil”, while another commented: ” My skin is literally crawling because of these damn spiders.”
I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here continues tomorrow at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.