6th November 2023
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After 3 weeks, several innuendos and plenty of jungle ‘jibber-jabber’, we finally have reached the conclusion of I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here‘s 25th series. Unlike prior series, this is celebrating its silver anniversary, being a true staple of contemporary British TV. While I have watched bits of the show here and there, this series is the one where I have consistently maintained engagement, both through Live TV and on-demand catchup via ITVX. Safe to say, it has been a very memorable journey for both fans, the jungle’s participants and the iconic duo of Ant and Dec.
Disclaimer: Before we get in, I must stress that the following article will contain spoilers, so be warned. If you haven’t watched I’m a Celeb‘s 25th series in its entirety yet, do so and then come back to this discussion.
Now, I think a summary of the episode’s events are in need to refresh ourselves before we reach the final moments of this series. The date is Sunday 7th December, 9pm. Finally, after 3 weeks immersed in the lives of these celebrities, we will finally see who will be crowned King or Queen of the jungle. The episode begins with a heartfelt recap of Aitch’s departure and Tom, Ginge and Shona becoming the final three contestants.
The final three then reflect on their experience, with Shona remarking how coming onto the show has been “pretty life-changing”, as she arrived “full of fear” but is now leaving “stronger, emotionally and physically”; Ginge then states how he expected the jungle to be difficult upon arrival – with him admitting later in the episode that former contestants he had messaged hadn’t informed him of what to truly expect.
Yet, he was still surprised at how challenging it was but “even though it’s been tough”, he “wouldn’t change it for the world”. He then hopes he has made his mum proud. Tom confesses that it has been “So hard to crystallise what this experience has meant” and admits that he will “leave a completely different person”. He then proclaims that the experience has been “transformative” and “unlike anything else” he has ever endured.
Throughout this, the episode is foreshadowing future moments which will be unveiled, such as the final Bushtucker trials and their evening banquet. When we reunite with Ant and Dec, they recognise that is their “silver anniversary”, hence the article’s title; Dec jokes about this by saying Ant got him a set of “silver cuff links in the shape of kangaroo testicles”.
As per usual, they reiterate how the audience are in control and decide who will be King or Queen of the jungle; this embracing of a participatory culture throughout has always been at the forefront of its appeal, offering an almost ‘choose your own adventure’ element to the unfolding narrative. Now, of course, there is some mediation like any form of media, but for many viewers – like myself – this opportunity of interaction is enough to suffice.
We then flashback to yesterday morning, moments before Aitch is informed he must leave. Everyone in camp seems to be on edge, with Tom remarking how he was “so relaxed, but now [is] nervous”. When Aitch learns he has been outvoted, he isn’t upset or frustrated. Instead, he is relieved and seemed confident that he would be next to go.
To be honest, it makes sense for him. Not only has he seen most of the campmates depart but has been through so many highs – such as the letter from home, reuniting with his sisters, the Jungle Arms, Celebrity Cyclone – that he doesn’t need that achievement of King to appreciate his time spent. He tells everyone to “go and smash it”, reinforcing his consistent representation as the man of the people and an opinion leader. While the trio are saddened by his loss, Shona is especially melancholic about his exit.
Shona, Tom and Ginge arrive for their final set of Bushtucker trials, which contains a more Medieval setting. The trio inform Ant and Dec how happy they are to have reached this point in the experience and the hosts state that they must all undertake a classic Bushtucker trial each; if they are successful, they will be able to gain starters, main courses, desserts and a drink of choice for their potential banquet later in the day.
Shona goes first in the set of trials, being forced to use her tongue to loosen 4 stars whilst being subjected to mealworms, rats and cockroaches. She is successful and Tom begins his trial, which is an eating challenge. He first must eat fermented duck egg and scorpion, which he successfully does (in fact, he eats the duck egg in one bite, seemingly a first for any of I’m a Celeb‘s contestants). Then, he must eat a brand new dish exclusive to this year’s show: half of a camel’s brain. He does so whilst struggling and faces the final item: a small portion of a pig’s vagina. They joke about how this isn’t Tom’s first rodeo on the show, with Tom remarking “Oh, I’ve had you in liquid form”.
He manages to eat it and then Ginge is forced to face the final trial of the series: Helmets of Hell. In this, he must spend 2 minutes encased in 4 helmets – similar to an astronaut’s with its circular shape and visor- at a time. While also releasing the 4 stars on threads by putting his hand into the respective box. While he is able to do this, he does struggle in the final hurdle due to spiders being placed into the final helmet. Regardless, all stars are achieved and the banquet is acquired in its full entirety.
The group finally get a chance to sit down and feast, embracing the food and drinks around them as they raise a glass to their accomplishments. The group is in complete shock at how far they’ve come, with Shona getting the urge to dunk her face in the chocolate cake provided. Ginge cannot contain his laughter and Tom accidentally lets out a burp, quickly placing his hand around his mouth.
Brilliant.
These are the parts where I’m a Celeb truly shines. For me, it’s not the high-stakes glamour of the trials, or the sarcastic banter between the hosts and contestants but the down-to-earth, authentic chemistry we see occur live. There’s a reason the editors leave in these parts of footage and that is to convey the humanity and relatability of these celebrities, perpetuating a positive representation of star power.
When we return to actual live capture of the camp, we learn that the final celebrity to be exiled from camp is Shona, achieving an incredible 3rd place within this year’s show. Ginge and Tom console her as she leaves triumphantly, partly due to knowing this is temporary and that they will be reunited later. This will be when the former series contestants are sat waiting for Ginge and Tom to make their way up.
She lasted 23 days in camp and grew from incredibly nervous and insecure, to far more empowered and self-assured through the trials and tribulations she faced. A notable thing Shona states to Ant and Dec that the experience has been “a healing process”. Provoked by the hosts, she is asked who she wants to win this year. She states “Tom”. After this, she finally reunites with her sister on the red walkway.
After Shona leaves, we are treated with a 4 minute montage of series highlights mixed with slow-motion and real-time footage; starting all the way from parachuting, laughter and finally the bittersweet conclusion of each celebrity. This montage finishes off with the banquet toast.
When Ant and Dec return, we are also treated to the cameo of this year’s campmates dressed in more casual wear. Except for Shona, who when Ant states how they look “Fresh and gorgeous”, she remarks “Apart from me”. We are then told that Ginge and Tom are on their way to the studio now.
The two make their way up, hugging the hosts and sitting on a bench provided. When asked how they feel, the two are astonished. We are then treated to Ginge and Tom’s jungle highlights, alongside some banter engaged between the hosts and Ginge (e.g – insulting Ant and Dec during the trials, the milk bottle theft, bringing in contraband via cheese, his meal at the banquet). This tongue-and-cheek nature is what draws in so much of the British public, where we embrace provocative humour for pushing the boundaries of social etiquette. One of my favourite parts was getting to see Tom’s Mancunian accent, which was actually hilarious.
If you watch closely when they show highlights of his vocabulary, you can see him slightly disturbed by Aitch’s prior statement of “I wonder when Tom’s gonna switch that off”; to be honest, I can understand why he would feel that way. As he’s been so used to using such eloquent lexis, it could come across as insulting for people to question why you choose to do so. However, at the same time, for the average person, this range of advanced terminology would definitely leave many scratching their heads.
Ant reassures him that they “love his use of language”, with him asking if he’s shocked when people first meet him and realise this is his true persona. Ant then goes on to affirm that many social media users will think that “He’s putting this on”. Tom states that his family receive a lot of inquiries about this, with him remarking how he’s always enjoyed polysyllabic words (words with multiple syllables; e.g – ‘internationalism‘). Not out of a need to seem superior but out of curiosity and intrigue about words themselves.
Ant then shows to Tom his other passions besides language, via dancing, singing and accent impersonation.
Once the conversation concludes, Dec declares that the vote is closed and that either Ginge or Tom will be crowned King. Before this announcement, the hosts showcase a series of interviews from the other campmates expressing their thoughts and feelings about Ginge & Tom (I think this is supposed to serve as a moment of assurance or unease for a lot of the audience, who have actively decided who they want to see crowned; they may be swayed by the campmates’ opinions and therefore stick to or wish they could change their vote).
Jack describes Ginge like “a big kid”, Ruby loves how Ginge will “laugh at his own jokes”. Lisa states that “He’s northern, he’s funny, and he has a heart bigger than I can even tell you” and Kelly calls him “a constant wind-up” but “a real showman”. Vogue remarks how she hopes her kids love her as much as Ginge loves his family. Finally, Aitch is determined for Ginge to bring it home for Manchester.
Alex states how “You never want the fairy tale to end with Tom” as “Everything that comes out of his mouth is magical”. Eddie jokingly denotes that “Tom came from the past. He came from The Sound of Music” but that “He’s such a nice guy”. Ruby declares how Tom “brought real intelligence and academic brilliance and flirtatiousness and sassiness”; Martin describes Tom as “an absolute one of a kind” and Vogue says how “if we could all be more like Tom, I think the world would be a very happy place”.
Finally, the reveal begins. After Dec reveals that 13 million people voted for their King of the jungle (the highest in at least 10 years), the result is revealed. The winner of I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here 2025 is revealed to be… Angry Ginge.
The crowd cheers in celebration and tears roll down Morgan’s face. After Tom is congratulated for coming 2nd place and reunites with his mum, Ginge takes a seat on his new throne. To provide his coronation was former contestant and reigning King of the jungle, Danny Jones, who delivers his wreath and wooden staff.
So, that was I’m a Celeb’s 25th finale. While I would’ve loved to see Lisa win, I think Ginge had every right to earn that crown and be worthy of the title. As a “superfan who grew up watching the show”, it feels almost deserved that he has been able to reach this feat.
This not only is a reflection of challenging the North vs South divide as a Mancunian, but it also contends with the dominant ideology that streamers aren’t able to thrive within the mainstream. Ginge’s success serves as a vessel of inspiration for those who also have or are watching the show to pursue their passions and potentially take on the Australian wilderness.
However, this isn’t the very end of the campmates’ experience, per se; on Saturday 13th December 9pm, I’m a Celebrity: Coming Out is set to debut, discussing what they’ve been up to after leaving camp.
Any questions? How do you feel about this year’s finale? Feel free to contact me via johnjoyce4535@gmail.com!
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