The north Wales castle where ITV's I'm A Celebrity could be filmed this year
A castle in Abergele is being tipped as a likely location to host the next series of ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
ITV bosses confirmed the 20th series of the hit show, fronted by Ant and Dec, will be set at a ruined castle in the UK countryside.
Gwrych Castle in Abergele is rumoured to be the first choice in hosting the popular ITV series after filming was moved from Australia to the UK because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Like the regular series, viewers will still see the celebrities undertake gruelling trials and challenges to win food and treats in the lead up to one of them being crowned, for the first time ever, King or Queen of the Castle.
Gwrych Castle dates back more than 200 years and is said to be haunted. The site has 250 acres of gardens and grounds and views over former parkland including a deer park and the Irish Sea.
The story behind the ownership of the castle is an interesting one after Mark Baker, who in 1996, as a twelve-year-old boy, founded the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust after being disheartened by its condition.
The Trust forced the current owner to sell the castle in 2006 to a hotel chain which later entered receivership.
In 2018, planning permission for another hotel ran out and the castle was offered for sale by auction. The castle was purchased by Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, on behalf of the nation.
The Director of Entertainment at ITV Studios said the team "pulled out all the stops" to try to make the series happen in Australia, but unfortunately with the pandemic, they said it was not possible to travel and make the show there.
Despite this, Richard Cowles said the team are "really excited" about a UK version of the show.
He added: "While it will certainly be different producing the show from the UK, the same tone and feel will remain."
Last year, former Eastenders actress Jacqueline Jossa was crowned the winner of I'm A Celebrity. The audience figure for the final in 2019 peaked at 10 million viewers.
An ITV spokesperson said it was the most watched series of the year among the 16-34s demographic.