Next season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! will return to Australia if possible, ITV boss confirms

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ITV boss, Dame Carolyn McCall did hint that Gwrych Castle could be a back-up plan, if the show cannot return to Australia for the next season because of the pandemic.

The next season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! will not be shot in Wales and will return to Australia if possible, ITV's chief executive has confirmed.

The latest series of the hit ITV show was shot in Gwrych Castle, near Abergele, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the success of the castle format and Welsh location, ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said the show is "meant to be in Australia".

However, the ITV boss did hint that Gwrych Castle would be used as a back-up plan if the show is unable to return to Australia for next season because of the pandemic.

Ant and Dec, who have hosted all 20 seasons of the show, previously said they would be "very happy" to come back to Wales if production returned to the castle for another series.

Last year's new format saw Giovanna Fletcher crowned the first 'Queen of the Castle', rather than 'Queen of the Jungle'. Credit: ITV

Speaking as ITV published its group annual results, Ms McCall described the Wales-based edition of the show, won by podcast host Giovanna Fletcher, as a "tremendous success".

But she said: "If we can go back to Australia - and this show is meant to be in Australia - then that's what we'll do."

She added: "We have a very good plan if not, as we have already done it once (in the castle)."

Ms McCall also said Love Island will be returning in the summer, although the location of the show, usually filmed in a villa in Majorca, is still to be confirmed. The summer series was cancelled last year because of the global pandemic.

Local businesses made the most of the huge production being filmed down the road.

Ant McPartlin previously said he would be "very happy" for I'm a Celebrity to return to Wales.

He explained that he and co-host Declan Donnelly were "welcomed" to the country and "the people in Wales were lovely". He told Digital Spy: "There were cardboard cutouts of me and Dec in the butcher's, and the local school did a tribute.

"We'd happily go back there. We'd miss the sunshine, mind."

During the show's time in Wales, local businesses in Abergele decorated their shop windows and local primary schools held I'm a Celebrity themed lessons.

Pubs put on their own 'bushtucker trials', families did their own versions at home and even dogs at the North Clwyd Animal Rescue Centre got in on the action too.

Jim Jones, from North Wales Tourism, previously said he believes as much as £1 million could have been brought into the local economy as a result of the production.