I'm A Celebrity... South Africa is an all star version of the original (Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
I'm A Celebrity... South Africa is based on the premise of being an "all star" version of the original series. I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! allows us to see the celebrities in all kinds of gross conditions in situations that the general public typically wouldn't dream of being in, least of all a celebrity. It's fun, you see a different side to people and you get to work out who you think deserves to be in the competition a little longer.
However, with the all star version of the show, it seems that we're seeing a lot more people who didn't win over the public even remotely. People who either left within a matter of days, like Gemma Collins, or people who were voted out as soon as the public vote opened, like Sinitta. We're seeing some I'm A Celeb legends here, but I'm not sure that people who were booted out that early on can quite get that title.
Gemma Collins decided to leave during her series (Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
The South Africa version of the show has multiple past contestants joining the campmates for a fresh go at the challenges, but the goal this time is to become an I'm A Celeb "legend" instead of being titled King or Queen of the Jungle. I'm not saying I don't enjoy it and that I don't think it's good casting, it just feels a bit unusual to pick this mix of celebrities from the long list of historical campmates.
There's a sweet spot, and that should be no previous winners, because what is the point, and no celebrities who were voted out any higher than eighth place; that would give a good mix of people who were in the show long enough to make their mark and people who don't have the win in the bag already. And I know I've not been the only one to think this has been a bit of an odd pick for the "all stars", with an abundance of viewers taking to X to share a similar sentiment.
One user took to X and wrote: "How can a woman barely worthy of being called a "celebrity" who quit #ImACeleb after just three days then appear in the Africa version where she could potentially earn a "Legend" status?" Another wrote: "Maybe this is controversial, but I don't think previous winners should be allowed back on."
I also can't quite comprehend why the series is pre-recorded, it doesn't give it the same feel as the normal version of the show, which feels far more fun by comparison. The final is going to be live, which is another oddity in all of this, but I think without some changes this version could be quite close to fizzling out, which is such a shame considering how long people have been asking for it.
