I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! ratings are in

Ten’s new series of reality show I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! has been panned for its D-list cast, who couldn’t help the network beat its previous ratings numbers.

Ten’s new series of reality show I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! has been panned for its D-list cast, who couldn’t help the network beat its previous ratings numbers.

Last night’s two-hour premiere saw it take out the top spot across five city metro areas including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

The I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! Opening Night episode attracted 1.098 million viewers, and in second position was I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! — Welcome to the Jungle! which held on with 1.014 million viewers.

Both programs beat out Nine News in third position with 822,000 viewers, Seven News in fourth spot with 778,000 viewers and the ABC News which had 614,000 viewers.

It also meant Ten had 20.8 per cent of audience share. Seven had 18.4 per cent and Nine took 14.9 per cent.

While it is an early ratings win for the embattled network, the numbers were still lower than the show’s ratings debut in late January last year, where the I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! Opening Night episode scored a metro audience of 1.274 million, and the Welcome to the Jungle episode attracted 1.180 million viewers.

At the time, the show was up against the men’s final of the Australian Open.

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The cast of the 2019 edition of I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!

This year’s season of the show features AFL legend Dermot Brereton, 54, ex-senator Jacqui Lambie, 47, model and former Love Island contestant Justin Lacko, 28, former MasterChef contestant and Everyday Gourmet host Justine Schofield, 33, former Home And Away actor and X Factor host Luke Jacobz, 37, former newsreader Natasha Exelby, 35, celebrity reporter Richard Reid, 51, former disgraced federal politician Sam Dastyari, comedian Tahir Bilgic, 48, and Yvie Jones, 46, and Angie Kent, 28, from Gogglebox.

Hosts Dr Chris Brown and comedian Julia Morris revealed the camp where the celebrities stay would be divided this year into the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’.

The Campers have access to more comfortable couches and cushions, but the Caretakers are forced to sleep in basic furnishings, and they have to cook and clean for the Campers.

Jacqui Lambie and Richard Reid were also named as team captains for the series.

Jacqui Lambie and Richard Reid in their first challenge as team captains. Picture: Supplied

Ten has maintained it chose to bring the new series forward with an earlier start date because it wanted to offer viewers a non-sport option on TV.

From today, Nine is running coverage of the Australian Open and Seven is broadcasting the cricket that will continue into February. Foxtel is also broadcasting the cricket.

Ten’s chief content officer Beverley McGarvey said in a statement: “We’re really happy with how I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! launched last night.

“ A big thanks to the whole team, to Chris and Julia and to our brave celebs for bringing us all the jungle fun so early.

“We really had to redefine landscape for summer viewing this year and early indications show there is a market for first-run entertainment now most of the country is back at work. “We know it is early days but we have lots more twists and turns, fun and frightening challenges and a few brilliant surprises coming in the next few weeks.”

Originally published as I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! ratings are in