I’m A Celebrity to return this year as ITV forks out £15m to save show

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I’M A Celebrity WILL return this winter — and ITV have set aside £15million to make sure.

Top channel boss Kevin Lygo today vowed to “move heaven and earth” to ensure hosts Ant and Dec are back in Australia in November.

ITV are pulling out all of the stops to make sure I’m A Celebrity returns this autumn

A show source said: “Bosses are sparing no expense to get the jungle on air.”

ITV chiefs have set aside up to £15million so the UK’s most popular entertainment show goes on.

Kevin Lygo said: “Of course it wouldn’t be autumn on ITV without I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here!

“As you can imagine we are moving heaven and Earth to try to film the next series in November. There should also be a spin-off show.”

Britain’s Got Talent featuring judge Alesha Dixon will also return to finish the current series

I’m a Celeb is worth millions in ad revenue.

A show source said: “Bosses are sparing no expense to get the jungle on air.

“It’s their biggest and most lucrative show and despite a challenging financial situation they have set aside a big pile of dosh to make it happen — not only on talent but to cover the cost of crew, production and all of the costs that come with it.

“There’s been a lot of discussion about whether or not they could feasibly get it on air, but as Kevin says they’re doing their utmost to make sure it will happen. They can’t afford for it not to.”

Emmerdale will return in full with six episodes a week

The news that the jungle show will go ahead heralded ITV’s big bounce back from chaos caused by Covid-19.

Mr Lygo, the channel’s director of television, also announced the full-time return of soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street — with six episodes a week of each from mid-September.

And he confirmed that the interrupted series of Britain’s Got Talent would air early the same month.

Mr Lygo said of the show, featuring Alesha Dixon as a judge: “Viewers will have to wait no longer as we complete the Britain’s Got Talent series with six final shows without an audience this time but no less thrilling.”

ITV boss Kevin Lygo vowed to ‘move heaven and earth’ to ensure Ant and Dec are back in Australia this year

He added: “We’re in a better place than I thought we would be. With a dozen or so dramas we won’t be watching repeats of Midsomer Murders in January after all.”

He also unveiled a new film fronted by actress Sheridan Smith. She reveals her mental health struggles and fears before and after pregnancy in Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum.

Other highlights include two-part drama Honour, starring Keeley Hawes, Prince William fronting a documentary on climate change and a show in which celebs row a boat from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

Coronation Street will also return to a full schedule starting mid-September
A new film starring Sheridan Smith was also announced by the ITV boss

Honour, a two-part drama starring Keeley Hawes, will also come to TV screens

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