I’M A Celebrity ratings have drop by a HUGE 3million on last year’s series after Storm Arwen forced the show off air for three days.
The ITV programme returned to screens on this week after weather disruptions but viewing figures have continued to fall compared to the previous series.
As of Tuesday’s instalment, overnight ratings for the show averaged at 5.44million – dropping by a staggering 3 million compared to last year, which averaged at 8.4million.
The show – hosted by Geordie duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – was taken off air for three days after Friday after Storm Arwen wreaked devastation on production facilities in North Wales which undoubtedly didn’t help.
Overnight figures from Friday’s episode was coming in at 6.37million viewers, meaning the show has dropped almost 1 million viewers.
However, ITV viewers will be thrilled to learn that the show is going to return to airing super-long episodes.
Last night it returned after nearly four days away – but fans weren’t happy that the episode was so brief.
It lasted an hour and five minutes, but many reckoned it should have been longer given the length of time since the last instalment.
Now, ITV will air bumper episodes lasting an hour and 20 minutes starting on Friday at 9pm.
They will stay in place until Thursday next week when they get even longer, to a movie-length hour and 35 minutes.
Until then though the shows are set to be short and snappy, with tonight’s trip to the castle and the one that will air tomorrow just an hour and 5 minutes.
Some fans voiced their objection to the running time on Twitter last night.
One wrote online: “I can’t believe tonight’s #ImACeleb is only on for 1 hour 5 minutes when it’s like 5 days of footage.”
Another tweeted: “I was hoping for more than only an hour & five minute episode after not getting one for three days.”
Tonight, the show returns with another trial, as a terrified Naughty Boy screams in horror as he takes on The Savage Stakeout challenge.
The musician looked unimpressed to learn viewers had voted him to take on yet another gruesome challenge – the first since the campmates were returned to the castle after their evacuation.
And in a preview clip, the trial isn’t going well – with Adam Woodyatt and Simon Gregson asked questions about the show by Ant and Dec.
If they answer incorrectly, they get covered in slime and part of restrained Naughty Boy’s body is covered in critters – but if they answer correctly, they get a meal for camp.
In the teaser, Naughty can be seen begging the soap stars: “Please get this right, guys!”
Unfortunately, they fail the first question – and the music producer screams in terror as his left arm is covered in crickets.
