{"id":7589,"date":"2021-11-22T17:24:49","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T16:24:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1516177"},"modified":"2021-11-22T17:48:17","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T16:48:17","slug":"im-a-celebrity-2021-scores-lowest-launch-show-ratings-in-more-than-10-years","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/im-a-celebrity-2021-scores-lowest-launch-show-ratings-in-more-than-10-years\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m A Celebrity 2021 scores lowest launch show ratings in more than 10 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Lidia Molina-Whyte\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 22 November 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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I\u2019m A Celebrity 2021<\/a> returned to our screens last night, welcoming a fresh batch of A-listers to Gwrych Castle.<\/p>\n

The hit ITV reality show made its move from the Australian jungle to the Welsh countryside last year due to the pandemic, but that didn\u2019t stop it from reaching record-breaking numbers when it came to its ratings, securing an impressive 10.9 million viewers in 2020.<\/p>\n

The considerable figure made it the most-watched show of the year.<\/p>\n

Of course, it arrived during a national lockdown, meaning it was much easier for fans to tune in as the show aired. But how did this series\u2019 launch compare?<\/p>

This time around, the show was down almost 3 million viewers for its premiere, averaging 8m on Sunday night (via Broadcast<\/a>). While that makes it the show\u2019s lowest launch show ratings in more than 10 years, it\u2019s still a very strong result in the current climate and was comfortably ITV\u2019s most-watched programme of the weekend.<\/p>\n

For context, it was just shy of the ratings achieved by the Strictly Come Dancing results show on BBC One, which pulled in 8.1m viewers.<\/p>\n

The first episode introduced the I\u2019m A Celebrity 2021 line-up<\/a>, which includes presenter Richard Madeley<\/a>, the Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge<\/a> and former Strictly judge Arlene Phillips<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Of course the first trial<\/a> took place, pitting Richard and Frankie \u2013 who were voted for by the public \u2013 against each other in a gruelling tower ascent, all the while being showered with critters.<\/p>\n

And it looks like things are only going to get more gruesome, judging by Snoochie Shy\u2019s reaction<\/a> to what Ant refers to as a \u201csneeze burger\u201d in a preview shared by ITV of tonight\u2019s trial.<\/p>\n