A HIGHLY venomous snake has been spotted in the I’m A Celebrity camp just days before the celebrities are set to move in.
The red-bellied black snake, which is commonly encountered on the east coast of Australia, was spotted curled up in the camp during a rehearsal – just inches away from a member of the crew.
Meanwhile the camp, which is located in Tweed Shire, New South Wales, is also home to pythons and Australian brown serpents which are considered to be some of the most dangerous in the world.
A show executive said: “A red-bellied black snake made its way into the camp and decided to curl up next just inches away from the head of a stand-in as she slept in her bed.
“The snake is very common in this part of Australia but is venomous and it could of been nasty with the bite causing bleeding and vomiting.”
It comes as the campmates are set to face an infestation of ticks and leeches following the wet weather conditions.
Bosses were recently forced to close the camp after torrential rain and floods hit the area which has caused an influx of the blood-sucking bugs in camp.
A show medic said: “The rain has caused lots of leeches and ticks to fill the Jungle so the celebs will have to keep checking themselves and each other.”
Last week panicked ITV bosses were forced to close the camp after torrential rain and floods hit the area.
Work on the set was cancelled, with all crew forced off site by the extreme conditions, just days before the celebrities are due to check in.
A local source said: “The camp was closed yesterday due to the extreme rain. No staff were allowed on site because it was too dangerous.
“They were told to get out of the area and totally downed tools.
“It meant a precious day of preparation was lost as the crew faced a race against time to get the site ready.”
An ITV spokesman said: “We closed the site for 24 hours as a precautionary measure due to the inclement weather.”
The reality show is due to start on Sunday, November 6, for the first time since 2019 after a two year hiatus during the pandemic.
