ITV has announced that I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! will not be airing a live broadcast for Friday evening's show following a severe weather warning.
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The channel confirmed in a statement that the show was taking "precautionary measures" to ensure safety of cast and crew in light of Storm Arwen making its way across the UK. "Ant and Dec will record their links early evening and these will be played out during tonight's show," the statement began.
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"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 pulling of the live broadcast comes soon after another blow to the series which saw TV presenter Richard Madeley quit the reality programme. The Good Morning Britain presenter, who took part in a brutal Bushtucker trial earlier this week, was feeling unwell in the early hours of Thursday morning and was seen to immediately by on-site medical staff.
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© Photo: ITVAnt and Dec have filmed their segments in advance for Friday's episode
After an assessment, the 65-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital for checks. The broadcaster has since assured fans he is feeling "fine", but his departure from Gwrych Castle meant he had broken COVID restrictions and the I'm a Celebrity "bubble", meaning his return to camp was not possible.
Richard confirmed his exit on Instagram: "Hello all! Richard here – firstly just to say that I’m absolutely FINE. I started to feel briefly unwell in the small hours of the morning and was taken to hospital as a precaution. By leaving the camp, I had consequently broken the Covid ‘bubble’ and as such I’ve had to leave the castle and all the wonderful celebs that remain in the camp."
"Obviously I’m gutted to be leaving so soon but the safety of all the campmates is the number one priority. I’m incredibly excited to watch their journey continue…even more so at the prospect of being somewhere a little warmer than Gwrych Castle." He added: "Thank you to everyone who supported me on my brief but completely unforgettable adventure – I’ve made some great friends and honestly had the time of my life."
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