Storm Arwen: I'm a Celebrity to return on Tuesday following storm damage

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Photo of David Ginola, Louise Minchin, Snoochie Shy, Richard Madeley, Frankie Bridge, Kadeena Cox, Matty Lee, Naughty Boy, Ben Miller and Arlene PhillipsImage source, Joel Anderson/ITV
Image caption,
Producers have been forced to cancel I'm a Celebrity for a third night following damage to the set caused by Storm Arwen

Live episodes of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! will not return until Tuesday, ITV has confirmed.

The show had to be cancelled over the weekend after Storm Arwen caused "significant damage" to the set at Gwrych Castle in north Wales.

Contestants were removed from the set for their safety after the live element of the show was abandoned on Friday.

An ITV spokesperson said: "Production worked round the clock to get the site back up and running."

Monday's show will be replaced by Freddie and Jamie's DNA Journey, featuring Freddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp.

Presenters Ant and Dec and the group of celebrities will be back in the castle for Tuesday evening's show.

Image caption,
One of the production tents appeared to have semi-collapsed

The storm has caused disruption across Wales, with more than 30,000 thousand homes experiencing power cuts over the weekend and road and rail travel severely affected.

The "technical difficulties" caused by the extreme weather meant the channel instead filled the schedule slots with compilation shows voiced by hosts Ant & Dec featuring best moments from previous series.

Prior to the pandemic I'm a Celebrity was based in Murwillumbah in Springbrook National Park, New South Wales, Australia.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
The action has been taking place at Gwrych Castle

The news follows contestant Richard Madeley announcement on Thursday that he would be leaving the show after being taken to hospital over a health scare.

In a post on Instagram the TV presenter said that despite being declared "absolutely fine" by medics he would not be able to return to the castle because he had broken the show's Covid safety bubble.

Image source, ITV

Writing in The Telegraph about the experience on Saturday, Madeley dispelled speculation about his "funny turn".

"I wasn't at all unwell apart from foolishly forgetting to stay hydrated, I didn't pick up a stomach bug from my trial and - despite what some oddballs on Twitter might say - I wasn't suffering ill-effects from my Covid vaccine," he wrote.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Monday, the 65-year-old did however discuss the "physicality" of the experience.

"You are hungry, because we were in the clink [the very basic camp half of the celebrities started off in] all we were getting is rice and beans," he told host Ben Shepherd.

"People think that can't be too bad but it's tasteless - they don't put salt on or any kind of seasoning and you don't get much. I was on about 750 calories a day, I've lost at least three pounds."

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