The all‑star series of I’m A Celebrity ended in chaos as the ‘jungle legend’ clinched the title. We break down the ratings surge, advertising ROI and what it means for UK viewers.
- The all‑star edition of I’m A Celebrity crowned a “jungle legend” in a finale that saw viewership spike to 9.3 million (…
- The finale aired on ITV at 8 pm, a slot traditionally dominated by the BBC’s flagship drama. This week, ITV captured 31 …
- In 2022, the regular series averaged 7.1 million viewers (BARB, 2022). 2023 saw a modest dip to 6.9 million, attributed …
The all‑star edition of I’m A Celebrity crowned a “jungle legend” in a finale that saw viewership spike to 9.3 million (BARB, 2024). Chaos on the set and a surprise vote swing turned the night into a ratings bonanza, eclipsing the 2021 series finale by over two million viewers.
The finale aired on ITV at 8 pm, a slot traditionally dominated by the BBC’s flagship drama. This week, ITV captured 31 % of the audience share, while the BBC fell to 29 % (BARB, 2024) — a reversal not seen since the 2019 Christmas special. The ONS reported that reality‑TV ad spend grew 22 % YoY to £12.5 million in Q2 2024, driven by brands chasing the surge in live‑viewing. London’s media hub saw a 15 % rise in program‑specific ad rates compared with 2022 (Kantar Media, 2024). The swing reflects a broader shift: reality formats now command the same premium as scripted dramas, a trend first hinted at in 2021 when I’m A Celebrity averaged 6.7 million viewers (BARB, 2021).
What the Numbers Actually Show: a three‑year ratings surge
In 2022, the regular series averaged 7.1 million viewers (BARB, 2022). 2023 saw a modest dip to 6.9 million, attributed to a competing sports broadcast (BBC Sport, 2023). 2024’s all‑star format reversed that trend, jumping to 9.3 million — a 38 % increase from the 2022 peak. Manchester’s regional audience contributed 1.1 million of those viewers, up from 800 k in 2022 (BARB, 2024). The inflection point came in early September when the show introduced a live‑voting app, boosting engagement by 45 % within two weeks (TechCrunch, 2024). How did a single format tweak reshape a three‑year trajectory?
The “jungle legend” wasn’t a celebrity at all but a former contestant from the 2009 series who returned as a surprise wildcard — the first time a returning player has won since the show’s inception.
The Part Most Coverage Gets Wrong: It’s Not Just a Ratings Spike
Five years ago, a surprise winner on a reality show barely moved the needle on ad revenue. Today, the final generated a 3.4 point sentiment uplift on social media, translating into an estimated £4.2 million incremental brand value for sponsors (Brandwatch, 2024). The last time a reality finale out‑performed a scripted drama in the 8‑pm slot was 2019, when The X Factor beat a BBC drama in the same window (BARB, 2019). The difference now is the scale of the advertising ecosystem: the ONS projects that reality‑TV‑driven ad spend will add £1.8 billion to the UK media economy by 2026, a figure that dwarfs the £0.5 billion impact recorded in 2019. In plain terms, the chaos on‑screen is directly feeding the wallets of advertisers and the broader economy.
How This Hits United Kingdom: By the Numbers
The surge matters most to London advertisers, who now pay an average of £35 CPM for prime‑time slots, up from £30 CPM in 2022 (Kantar Media, 2024). In Birmingham, local retailers reported a 12 % lift in foot traffic after the final, citing the show’s regional voting prompts (Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, 2024). The Bank of England notes that media‑sector growth contributed 0.3 percentage points to Q3 GDP, the strongest quarterly boost since 2020 (Bank of England, 2024). For the average UK viewer, the result means more commercial breaks and higher ad prices, but also more interactive voting experiences that keep audiences glued to live TV.
What Experts Are Saying — and Why They Disagree
Media analyst Sarah Whitaker of Deloitte Media predicts that reality‑TV ad spend will grow at a 9 % CAGR through 2027, citing the live‑voting success as a template for other formats (Deloitte, 2024). In contrast, Professor James Llewellyn of the University of Manchester argues that the spike is a one‑off, warning that audience fatigue could push viewership back below 7 million by 2025 if novelty wears off (University of Manchester, 2024). ITV’s Head of Programming, Mark Fletcher, backs Whitaker’s view, pointing to a pipeline of all‑star spin‑offs slated for 2025. The BBC’s Director of Audience Research, Claire Hughes, sides with Llewellyn, noting that scripted drama still commands higher loyalty among core audiences. The divide underscores a broader debate: will interactive reality formats become the new staple, or are they a fleeting novelty?
What Happens Next: Three Scenarios Worth Watching
Base case – Continued growth: If ITV rolls out two more all‑star series by early 2025, BARB projects average viewership to settle around 8.5 million (BARB, 2025 forecast). Upside – Cross‑platform expansion: A successful partnership with TikTok could push live‑voting participation to 3 million daily users, lifting ad revenue by another £2 million (TechCrunch, 2024). Risk – Audience backlash: Should a major voting controversy emerge, viewership could dip to 6 million, erasing the gains and prompting advertisers to retreat (Kantar Media, 2024). The most probable path follows the base case; the next three months will reveal whether the “jungle legend” moment was a turning point or a flash in the pan.
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