Evacuations only take place in extreme circumstances
The I’m a Celebrity camp has been dramatically evacuated following an intense storm. Programme bosses were forced to activate emergency protocols and swiftly shelter the celebrities amid massive hailstones and lightning strikes.
The Queensland Bureau of Meteorology had previously issued an alert regarding what it termed a “very dangerous storm” set to batter the region. It explained how the thunderstorm was generating “large to giant hailstones, damaging and destructive winds and heavy rainfall causing flash flooding.”
The contestants were rushed into the Bush Telegraph where they huddled together for an hour whilst the worst conditions passed overhead. Sources revealed the camp was left “drenched” and that recording was postponed by up to three hours.
The celebrities’ belongings were completely soaked, and they spent Monday afternoon attempting to use the campfire to dry everything out.
A programme insider revealed: “Our health and safety weather contingencies kicked in and we evacuated the celebrities immediately to the Bush Telegraph until the storm passed and it was safe to return to camp.”
The evacuation only occurs in extreme circumstances, according to sources. Bosses have highly sophisticated weather monitoring systems where they can track storms.
Last year was similarly impacted with the camp being struck by record rainfall and experiencing flooding, also resulting in an evacuation. The recent evacuation will undoubtedly damage camp spirits.
An insider said: “The Bush Telegraph is tiny but the only place where the campmates can be evacuated to. With all twelve contestants in there, it would have been very, very uncomfortable. Plus they were all drenched. It couldn’t have got any worse.”
The same source warned that the damp conditions will lead to an invasion of leeches, further dampening the camp’s spirits. The insider added: “It’s going to be very grim indeed. The wet weather always brings out the leeches, plus a whole host of other biting insects too. After what has seemed quite a harmonious camp, we expect it to get a little fraught from now on.”
It’s not known whether the evacuation scenes will be broadcast. Last year, campmate Melvin Odoom confessed to the Mirror that he nearly quit the show due to the harsh weather conditions. He shared how he was rescued in the middle of the night by a security guard during a storm after crying out for help.
When questioned if he thought about leaving, he admitted: “Yes, because I found it difficult, and I thought the finish line seemed quite far away.” However, he chose to stick it out.
He added: “I didn’t want to let my family down. And the most similar process to this that I’ve ever done in my life was Strictly and I was the first person out, and I was aware of that in my head.”
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