UK version of ‘I’m A Celeb’ filmed in NSW: Secrets from the set

THE British version of the reality TV show is filmed in NSW — and we’ve uncovered some secrets from the production.

UK CELEBRITIES are waving goodbye to their pampered lifestyles and embarking on a gruesome adventure in Australia for I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here.

A huge production operation goes on behind the scenes of the British version of the show which is filmed near Murwillumbah in northeast NSW.

The Sun has taken a look behind the scenes at the camp’s secrets ahead of its launch on UK TV on November 18.

THE SHOW HAS A DUMMY RUN

Brave locals are hired to spend three days pretending to be the celebrities the week before the show goes live.

This is to make sure everything on the camp is in working order and they even do trials and eat the same food — just like it’s the real thing.

THE CELEBS CAN COVER UP — IF THEY WANT TO

After the UK stars moaned that they had to get naked in front of the cameras in order to change in series one, producers came up with what is called a “modesty smock”.

It is basically a sheet designed to put their head through, allowing them to get changed in front of the cameras without flashing a boob or, heaven forbid, a hairy armpit.

No thanks. Picture: Rex

THE CAMP IS SURROUNDED BY BODYGUARDS

A full security team stand guard around the camp to stop intruders from entering.

They wear full jungle camouflage gear and the bodyguards not only stop people from getting into the site, they also keep watch for deadly snakes and spiders.

THERE IS A HUGE DEMAND FOR CREEPY CRAWLIES

It might sound obvious but the show needs thousands of bugs over the three-week run for the bush tucker trials.

In 2013 a bug breeder bred 250,000 cockroaches, 153,000 crickets, 2.5 million mealworms, 400 spiders, 500 rats, 30 snakes, six 1m-long crocodiles, and 20 small crocodiles for the show.

THEY OFTEN RUN OUT OF BUGS

Despite being in the dense Australian bush, the show has had to beg, borrow and pay for extra bugs when they’ve run out.

One year locals were drafted in to collect spiders and were paid $5 a spider.

In 2012 there was a cockroach crisis, with hardly any being bred across the country due to the weather. And the show couldn’t include witchetty grubs in 2013 because the environment was wrong for breeding them.

Surprise! Picture: Rex

KNICKERS AND PANTS ARE A LUXURY

The stars are allowed just three sets of underwear and three sets of swimwear for three whole weeks — everything else is provided. Let’s hope they know how to hand wash.

CELEBS SHOWER WITH LOCAL BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS

Everything they need to wash themselves with is provided at the shower, such as shampoo, conditioner and shower gel.

But it’s nothing fancy, and in fact, it all has to be biodegradable due to the environment.

This article was originally published on The Sun and is reproduced with permission.