Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly made a cheeky Gwrych Castle dig as they opened I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! on Wednesday, November 15. The show returned to the Australian jungle this year after a two-year stint in Wales.
In 2021 and 2020, I'm A Celebrity took place at the beautiful 200-year-old Grade I listed building in the seaside town of Abergele. The series moved to Gwrych Castle in the county of Conwy for two years running due to the pandemic and the "continued" uncertainty around Covid-19 and international travel.
ITV bosses confirmed the show's return to the jungle with a statement earlier this year. It read: "Returning to its home in Australia after a two-year break, our celebrities will leave their plush pads and luxuries far behind as they spend up to three weeks taking on the Australian jungle with a whole host of surprises created just for them."
Read more: Love Island winner Liam Reardon hints at Millie Court reunion
But opening the show on Wednesday night, Ant and Dec couldn't help but make a cheeky dig at their former camp in the stunning Welsh countryside. Introducing the episode, Ant said: "Also coming up tonight, Moyles boils in the trial, George gets snappy and Seann talks about the time he turned up for work in the wrong place."
Dec replied: "Easily done, we went to a castle in Wales for two years," before quickly adding: "Which we loved."
"Noswaith dda [good evening]," Ant then said looking at the camera, before Dec added again: "We loved it."
Gwrych Castle were quick to respond, firing back a light-hearted GIF to suggest they had their eyes on the presenters, before simply adding: "Noswaith dda @antanddec."
Mention of the castle had many people reminiscing, however, with one viewer writing on Twitter: "@antanddec I miss the castle! @Gwrych_Castle," followed by a crying face emoji, while another added: "I genuinely thought it was more fun in Wales, even though it was freezing cold and wet. I also loved the fact that the money from ITV helped the castle so much. It's made such a difference."
During I'm A Celebrity's stint in Wales, ITV helped support the castle's ongoing restoration and well as giving the region as a whole a much-needed economic boost.
It's not the first time Ant and Dec have referenced Wales this series, after Babatúndé Aléshé took on a trial in the pouring rain, Ant joked to viewers at home: "Come to Australia they said, it will be sunny. I mean we might as well have stayed in Wales," as the pair presented from under a huge umbrella. You can read more on this here.
I'm A Celebrity continues on weekdays at 9pm on ITV. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
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