Intruders removed from I’m A Celebrity set in second security breach this series

Intruders have been removed from the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! castle set in the second security breach of this series, ITV has said.

The latest incident happened as Storm Arwen hit the area and contestants had been evacuated as high winds battered Gwrych Castle in North Wales.

In a statement, an I’m A Celebrity spokesperson said: “A security breach was identified during Storm Arwen and intruders were removed from the location with immediate effect.

“The safety of both our celebrities and our production crew remains our primary concern.”

A show source said: “This was such irresponsible behaviour to put themselves and the security team in during the storm.

“They were trespassing on private property and creating unnecessary risks.”

The previous incident happened during the first week of the show, which launched at the end of November, before producers were forced to pre-record Friday’s episode due to severe storm warnings.

ITV was then forced to cancel the live episodes on Saturday, Sunday and Monday due to the weather conditions, with the celebrities evacuated as a precaution.

Strict COVID rules meant the contestants – including Frankie Bridge, David Ginola, Naughty Boy and Arlene Phillips – were kept in quarantine until filming could resume.

Episodes at the weekend were replaced by compilation shows voiced by the hosts, Ant and Dec, featuring the best moments from previous series.

It has been an eventful few weeks for the show, which is being filmed in Wales for a second year, rather than its usual location in Australia, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Before the celebrities were evacuated, it was announced that contestant Richard Madeley was leaving after falling ill and being taken to hospital as a precaution.

The journalist and broadcaster said he was “gutted” not to be allowed back as he had broken the quarantine bubble.