CELEBRITIES taking part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in Wales this year will be forced to spend two weeks in quarantine.

The hugely popular ITV show is returning to Gwrych Castle next month following the success of last year’s series, won by Giovanna Fletcher.

The last series of the ITV programme was filmed in the UK for the first time after the coronavirus pandemic forced producers to abandon plans to make the programme at its usual base in Australia.

ITV confirmed it would be back near Abergele this year, and that contestants would have to go through the same strict Covid protocols as last year’s.

A source told The Sun: "All of the celebrities will have to quarantine alone for a fortnight.

"Once this ends they will enter the camp, which is basically then their bubble for the whole series. Testing will be done regularly in camp and on the set to ensure all the cast and crew are safe.

"ITV thinks this is the best case scenario and will stop any headaches surrounding Covid, which has been a nightmare for the BBC with Strictly."

I’m A Celebrity returns to Wales

The programme will again be filmed in Gwrych Castle near Abergele in North Wales amid ongoing uncertainty around international travel, ITV confirmed.

Katie Rawcliffe, ITV head of entertainment commissioning, said: “We can confirm that we’ll be returning to Wales for the 2021 series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

“We’ve always said we have contingencies in place for the series if the Covid situation continued to bring uncertainty, and after a highly successful run at the castle last year we’re pleased that we can return there.

“I have no doubt the production team will produce another hugely entertaining series.”

Richard Cowles, director of unscripted at Lifted Entertainment, which produces the programme, said: “With the continued uncertainty around Covid and international travel we have taken the decision not to return to our home in Australia for the 2021 series.

“We’re excited to return to Gwrych Castle.

“The last series was a huge success and we were made to feel so welcome by everyone locally and can’t wait to see everyone again.”

Ant & Dec in Wales

The show’s hosts, Ant and Dec have already been spotted in Wales ahead of this year’s edition of I’m a Celebrity.

Ant has previously spoken of the welcome the pair received during last year’s series.

He said he would be “very happy” for the programme to return to Wales.

He told Digital Spy they were “welcomed” in the country, adding: “There were cardboard cutouts of me and Dec (Donnelly) in the butcher’s, and the local school did a tribute.

“We’d happily go back there. We’d miss the sunshine, mind.”

While, speaking following the show’s National Television Awards victory, he said: “Thank you. It was a real change to do it in Wales last year but it was absolutely brilliant. We loved it, we loved doing it there and we can’t wait to do it again this year.”