I’m A Celebrity has confirmed that Friday night’s show has been pre-recorded amid safety concerns for the contestants as Storm Arwen sets its sights on Gwrych castle.
Each episode usually features pre-recorded segments from the day before alongside live links hosted by Ant and Dec, but the presenting duo will not be hosting live for the upcoming instalment for the first time in the show’s 19-year history.
Storm Arwen is due to hit the local area at around 9pm, which is the same time the episode is due to air, so there are further concerns there could be an impact on the ‘satellite link’.
Incoming: I’m A Celebrity has confirmed that Friday night’s show has been pre-recorded amid safety concerns for the contestant as Storm Arwen sets its sights on Gwrych castle (pictured hosts Ant and Dec)
A storm is coming: I’m a Celebrity stars face further depression and another dip in their morale on Friday night when an unwelcome guest called Arwen joins them
An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Tonight’s I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! will be broadcast as a pre-recorded show rather than live due to the developing Storm Arwen and precautionary measures we’re putting into place on production.
‘Ant & Dec will record their links early evening and these will be played out during tonight’s show. Our celebrities will remain inside the castle which is secure and we have contingencies in place to cover all weather scenarios to ensure the safety of our cast and crew.’
The stars face further depression and another dip in their morale on Friday night when an unwelcome guest called Arwen joins them.
The castle had been taking a weather battering with gale force winds and driving rain bringing down tree branches and safety signs.
But the Met Office warned there is worse to come for the area around Gwrych Castle from midnight from a storm they have given the Welsh name of Arwen.
The first heavy blasts meant security guards who had been brought into Gwrych Castle to protect the eleven remaining celebrities had to leave their posts to retrieve and reposition fencing blown down by the extreme weather.
Road signs which had been held down with sand bags were felled and blown into the road as cars had to swerve to avoid them.
Weather woes: The castle had been taking a weather battering with gale force winds and driving rain bringing down tree branches and safety signs.
The extreme weather warnings forced the show’s producers to take emergency measures to protect its stars who are staying in the 19th century castle.
The celebrities have been warned by ITV that tonight further massive disruption is likely by the furious weather blast with gusts of 70mph, which the Met Office named ‘Storm Arwen’.
The Met Office said: ‘Storm Arwen will bring very strong northerly winds into coastal parts of Wales and parts of western England Friday night and into Saturday. ‘
The 19th century castle is positioned high up on a hill in an open space, less than a mile from Liverpool Bay which borders the Irish sea.
The Met office added: ‘Flying debris is likely and could lead to Injuries or danger to life; Probably damage to trees, temporary structures and buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs.
‘Some roads and bridges are likely to close; There is a good chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.
Storm drama: The first heavy blasts meant security guards who had been brought into Gwrych Castle to protect the eleven remaining celebrities had to leave their posts to retrieve and reposition fencing blown down by the extreme weather
Uh oh: The celebrities have been warned by ITV that tonight further massive disruption is likely by the furious weather blast with gusts of 70mph, which the Met Office named ‘Storm Arwen’
‘Injuries and danger to life is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties.’
Elsewhere, Red alerts – warning of a ‘danger to life’ – have been issued across the northeast of England and Scotland for the first time in three years as Britons are warned to prepare for flooding, blizzards and power cuts.
The red warning, which covers areas including Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, will be in place from 3pm Friday until 2am Saturday morning.
Public transport in the red zone will be cancelled as the Met Office warned roofs could be blown off and ‘power lines brought down’.
Warning: Red, amber and yellow wind and snow warnings have been released for Scotland, western England and Northern Ireland on Friday, before extending to almost the entire of the UK on Saturday
Disruption: Road signs which had been held down with sand bags were felled and blown into the road as cars had to swerve to avoid them
Amendments: A guard fixes some of the security fencing at Gwrych Castle ahead of the arrival of Storm Arwen
Windy: The Met Office said: ‘Storm Arwen will bring very strong northerly winds into coastal parts of Wales and parts of western England Friday night and into Saturday.’
As temperatures on Friday plunged well below average to -4.4C in the Lake District, the Met Office warned commuters of ‘flying debris’ expected to cause chaos on roads, bridges and railway lines.
ITV said it was making preparations for the heavy winter storm and had advised its show’s stars that safety measures may have to be taken.
An I’m a Celebrity spokesman told MailOnline: ‘Show bosses are monitoring Storm Arwen and we have contingencies in place to cover all weather scenarios.’
Meanwhile, local resident Diana Pritchard, a retired dental assistant who lives with husband Ian close to the castle, said: ‘We have been warned that the storm is going to last for nine hours from midnight and be absolutely terrible.
‘I hope they take care of the celebrities up there. It’s going to be pretty cold windy and wet and who knows what the storm will do to the trees and the structure of the walls around the castle.’
Location: The 19th century castle is positioned high up on a hill in an open space, less than a mile from Liverpool Bay which borders the Irish sea
Fears: Meanwhile, local resident Diana Pritchard, a retired dental assistant who lives with husband Ian (both pictured) close to the castle, said: ‘We have been warned that the storm is going to last for nine hours from midnight and be absolutely terrible’
Bad weather: Fencing and signs have been blown over in the area surrounding the derelict Welsh castle
Sharon Roberts, 41, a charity worker of Rhyl, added: ‘I live close to the coastline. I’m really worried about the sea and what it might do to the houses alongside as the waves are going to be pretty strong.
‘But I would hate to be up there in that castle. They’re not going to get any sleep that’s for sure.
‘I’ve been watching the show and they seem pretty grumpy with low morale. I wonder what this will do to them.
‘It isn’t going to help them in terms of spirit. But I’ll probably make good TV. The show hasn’t been as great this year because no one really knows who most of people are, but a storm hit in the castle will be very dramatic.’
Safety first: ITV said it was making preparations for the heavy winter storm and had advised its show’s stars that safety measures may have to be taken
It comes after fears that I’m A Celebrity bosses have made this year’s series too tough are mounting after Richard Madeley’s shock departure yesterday.
The ITV show has been dramatically thrown into chaos after three of the contestants – Dame Arlene Phillips, Naughty Boy and Frankie Bridge – sought urgent medical treatment.
To make matters worse, its viewing figures have plummeted by 3 million on the same time last year down to 5.92 million.
Madeley was forced to quit I’m A Celeb after becoming ill following a gruelling bushtucker trial in which he crawled through fish guts and rotting fruit and vegetables which he complained were cold – before eating a squirrel for dinner.
Tricky: It comes after fears that I’m A Celebrity bosses have made this year’s series too tough are mounting after Richard Madeley’s shock departure yesterday (pictured Arlene Phillips and Naughty Boy)
The Good Morning Britain presenter, 65, was treated at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Wales – which meant that he broke Gwrych Castle’s Covid-safe bubble and ultimately had to leave the show.
Former Strictly judge Phillips, who at 78 is the oldest contestant on the series, is reportedly being medicated for ‘chronic pain’. Music producer Naughty Boy, 36, is said to be struggling mentally and Saturdays singer Bridge has developed a rash, The Sun reported.
A spokesman for I’m A Celebrity refused to be drawn on whether this year’s series is too tough for the contestants when approached by MailOnline for comment.
Normally, the celebrities head to sunny Australia to complete horrific challenges which involve handling creepy crawlies and eating ‘wobbly bits’. However, the past two series have taken place in damp and cold Wales because of the pandemic.
In chaos? The series is said to have been thrown into chaos behind-the-scenes after three of the celebrities have had to have urgent medical treatment (pictured Frankie Bridge)
The show’s producers previously told MailOnline how they had planned on making this year’s series even harder for the stars. I’m A Celebrity has been running so long, they argued, that they wanted to throw in extra challenges to keep the contestants ‘on their toes’.
Bosses have scheduled one terrifying bushtucker trial every day of the programme, which airs for three weeks – meaning there will be 25 cruel challenges in total.
Five celebrities were forced to spend their first few nights in a brand new rival camp where they had to endure hellish living conditions. They have been forced to sleep on the cold hard floor, shower in the dark while having to keep hold of a chain to release water, and brush their teeth in a grubby sink – as well as relive themselves in a cramped privy.
I’m A Celeb creative director Tom Gould told MailOnline: ‘We needed to make this year tougher. We need to keep on pushing the celebrities.
‘Last year we were quite anxious because we didn’t know what we were going to face, we didn’t know how cold it was going to be or if the celebrities would be able to stick it out. They survived, just, so now we’re going to push them even further every series and make sure we keep them on their toes, so they don’t know what is coming.
‘The show has been running for so long now that there are people that know it really, really well so we need to keep the surprise element. It means we have upped our game.’
I’m A Celebrity airs daily from 9pm on ITV.
Out and about: Madeley appeared frail but in high spirits as he was pictured at his home on Friday
Health scare: Richard, who was paid an estimated £200,000 to star in this year’s competition, was taken ill hours after participating in a gruelling trial