It’s back again in its traditional Australian setting but with a much weakened line-up how does the show still hold up throughout its debut episode? Here’s our I’m A Celebrity 2023 review.
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! is back for 2023, with a brand new lineup of celebrities set to battle it out in the depths of the jungle.
Following its traditional format, this year’s show will see ten stars leave behind the glamour of their everyday lives and set up camp in Australia for up to three weeks.
The famous faces headed to our screens for the 21st series include pop-stars, actors from the UK’s favourite soaps, TV presenters, YouTubers and one controversial politician-turned broadcaster.
Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly will welcome the celebrities to the jungle in the first episode of the show on Sunday, November 19.
Let’s very quickly go over the line-up for this years show before our first episode I’m A Celebrity 2023 review.
Jamie-Lynn Spears
Credit: ITV
US actress Jamie-Lynn Spears, sister to Britney, reckons her ability to not let anything hurt her feelings will help her cope with the jungle snakes, rats and creepie crawlies as she admits: “I am absolutely frightened of everything”.
Describing herself as both “wildly excited and nervous” about going on I’m A Celebrity, Jamie-Lynn – who has just taken part in this year’s Dancing with the Stars in the US – says it will also be a fantastic opportunity to show the world what she is really like as a person.
The Zoey 101 and Sweet Magnolias actress added: “There is literally every misconception you can have on a person about me so I don’t take any of it seriously.”
Sam Thompson – TV personality and Radio DJ
Credit – ITV
Made in Chelsea’s Sam Thompson readily admits he doesn’t know how he will cope sleeping outdoors after being forced to quit a recent trial camping trip.
“I am so excited about taking part in I’m A Celebrity, it still feels like a dream,” the reality star and radio show host said.
“I feel like a competition winner taking part. It was an absolute resounding ‘yes’ when I got approached. In fact, they didn’t even need to ask! I am a huge fan of the show.
“Ant and Dec are my idols too and it’s going to be really surreal meeting them,” he added.
Josie Gibson – ITV’s This Morning host
Credit – ITV
Describing herself as ‘motherly’, This Morning host Josie Gibson says one of the nicest things about entering the jungle will be getting to know celebrities she wouldn’t normally meet.
“I love it when people sit and tell stories and I hope people won’t think I am too nosey but I love chatting to them and finding out about them. I love people from all walks of life.”
She added: “I don’t think I will get too bored as if I am with lots of people, like I will be in camp, then I think we can have a laugh together. It’s actually going to be nice being in one spot for a change as I travel a lot.”
Fred Sirieix – TV presenter
Credit – ITV
First Dates star Fred Sirieix reveals he has undergone the biggest fitness training programme he has undertaken in years to cope with life in the jungle, as he admits he is scared of everything as we know from the incredible Gordon, Gino and Fred series. 
“It’s all going to be hard, but it’s good to do things that take you out of your comfort zone. Ihave been training harder than I have trained in the last three or four years,” he said.
“I go to the gym, I go to boxing, I train like a machine – that’s my way to cope with doing I’m A Celebrity. This isn’t a 100m race. You are going in for the long haul.”
Nella Rose – YouTuber
ITV – Credit
“My role in the camp is going to be to keep morale and humour high,” YouTuber Nella Rose said, “I am going to run a Zumba class every morning!”
Nella, who has more than 750k subscribers on the social media platform, said she doesn’t plan on causing any drama on the show.
“I don’t like confrontation though and I don’t argue with people as it doesn’t go anywhere.”
Nigel Farage – GB News host and former MEP
Credit – ITV
GB News presenter and former politician Nigel Farage said he will be able to survive the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! jungle because he is “used to dealing with snakes and other horrible reptiles” both in Brussels and at Westminster.
His hope for the series is to dispel what he believes are public misconceptions, including being “mean spirited”, but he predicts he will be voted for plenty of trials because “millions hate him.”
Outlining his reasons for finally accepting an offer to take part this year, Nigel explains “it’s such a mental test and maybe I will discover who I really am.”
“I understood why Matt Hancock did it. He went in there with his reputation on the floor. The truth is after the banking issue I raised a few months ago, I was standing up for a million people who had lost their bank accounts, then winning at the TRIC awards, I amgoing in at a different stage of my career.”
Grace Dent – Food critic

MasterChef UK and newspaper food critic Grace Dent admits she is ‘absolutely dreading’ the camp diet as she promises to give the famous rice and beans marks out of ten.
“Everything is filling me with a real sense of dread,” admits Grace. “But I am especially dreading being really hungry because I tend to eat four or five posh meals out a week because I am a restaurant critic.
“I know they are going to give me an eating trial and I am dreading putting even worse things in my mouth than I have in the past in fancy restaurants! I think I will be writing very stiff columns about the jungle food when I come out!”
Marvin Humes – Pop star and TV presenter
Credit – ITV
When JLS singer Marvin Humes told his wife, Rochelle, he was planning to take part in I’m A Celebrity, she thought he was playing a prank on her.
Readily admitting she thinks he is “nuts” because he is so terrified of heights, Marvin thinks facing up to his big fear will be “one million per cent” harder than performing on stage in front of thousands of fans.”
Marvin, who has just finished a UK tour with JLS, admits his bandmates are going to be shocked when they discover he is taking part.
“It’s been so hard keeping it a secret from them, and when they find out, they are not goingto believe it.”
Danielle Harold – EastEnders actor
Credit – ITV
Known to millions for her award-winning portrayal of Lola Pearce-Brown in EastEnders, Danielle Harold has come across plenty of soap rats over the past couple of years. But facing up to the real thing on the show will, she admits, be absolutely petrifying.
Confessing she is terrified of rats – especially their teeth – Danielle does, however, reveal taking part in I’m A Celebrity is finally a chance for her to show people who she really is behind her BBC character.
Nick Pickard – Hollyoaks actor
Credit – ITV
Hollyoak’s longest serving actor Nick Pickard – who has played Tony Hutchinson since its first ever episode in 1995 – says this does not mean this is the end of his time on the soap.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and as soon as I was approached, I said ‘yes’. I am not quitting Hollyoaks to take part. My bosses have been really supportive of me doing it,” he said.
“Now it is getting near to going into camp, I am so excited. I am obviously not looking forward to eating kangaroo balls but at the same time, I am looking forward to the trials – that’s the fun part of doing this show.”
I’m A Celebrity 2023 Review

Our first episode in this I’m A Celebrity 2023 review has us introduced to this years cast and it has to be said that this year is certainly one of the weakest line-ups the show has had for quite some time.
Only four names of note being stand out recognisable names to me personally, names that no matter what walk of life you’re from in the UK you would know who they are.
Having Britney’s sister in there really isn’t the star American guest that we’d have hoped it to be so that one fell very flat for me immediately in terms of star power but 5 mins of screen time later and she seems like a genuine down to earth person which already is a stark contrast to how the media have been portraying her.
Throwing a YouTuber in the mix is definitely one to capture a younger audience but I just don’t feel as though this year is even comparable to previous years. 
Straight off the bat Nigel Farage will be the one the public pick on to do the trials although with all of the controversy around Jamie-Lynn Spears lately the attention may be directed towards her instead.
Fred is absolutely UK TV legend and for me him and Nigel seem like the two genuine people at the moment, you may not like Nigel for his politics but you know full well he’s going to be himself no matter what and the same applies to Fred, two very genuine people.
Genuine is hard to come by in the world today and there’s quite a few in the cast already who don’t feel entirely authentic the second the episode began. They clearly know a camera is on them and they’re clearly very used to acting up to it. 
The format of the show remains the same but it still captivates its audience even if you’ve seen the challenges a million times before.
Starting the show off in the outback switched things up a little bit but then we’re straight back to familiar territory with this years contestants on the edge of a skyscraper ready to tread across the incredible high beam in their first challenge, a challenge which I would absolutely crumble at immediately.
No matter who does that challenge I commend and respect each and every person who gives it a go, my balance would have me falling off that thing every 10-20 seconds! Not only that but they’ve made that challenge even harder this year, absolutely mind blowing.
To have you shuffling across a rounded beam over the edge of a skyscraper, you can all starve, sod your stars!
As a whole, despite the line-up I feel as though the format of the show is just a finely polished piece of television and that’s why it’s easy to write this I’m A Celebrity 2023 review.
It’s why year after year it will be popular, it really doesn’t matter who’s in the line-up because even a whole cast of nobodies could make for entertaining television with the shows format.
From the challenges to the comedic talents of Ant and Dec I feel as though the show runners know that no matter who they have lined-up there will always be an audience waiting to lap up everything his incredibly structured show has to offer! 
I’m A Celebrity 2023 Review by Sean Evans