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The bitchin’ is back

Posted in Media, Mel Varley, Latest reporters' blogs November 13th, 2007 by Melinda Varley

Finally something to look forward to going home to at night - a cup-a-soup, a blanket and I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, but what will keep us watching?

Last night 8.9 million viewers tuned in, opting to forgo SkyOne’s hit show Prison Break and Living’s Next Top Model.

Terrestrial TV didn’t offer much last night with BBC2 showing Capturing Mary and Five showing Street Crime Live.

As much as we complain about celebrity focused reality shows, it’s actually quite exciting when they return, and do so with a bang.

First we had the news yesterday that ex-Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren was pulling out, allegedly because he was scared of snakes. ITV tried to make the ‘shock revelation’ a focal point of the first half hour of the show when the show’s producer spoke with McLaren about his contract.

He told her, “I don’t have the time, patience, inclination, passion, will, interest or excitement.” And to be honest, it didn’t look like he had much to offer the show anyway.

Outspoken supermodel contestant Janice Dickinson and PR guru Lynne Franks also tried to convince McLaren to stay, but their attempts were unsuccessful – and a waste of at least five minutes of juicy bitching time…although it did set the stage for some classic inter-group eye scratching.

Further controversy will rock the contestants tonight when former Apprentice man-eater Katie Hopkins enters the jungle.

This year the contestants are split across two tribes, Croc Creek and Snake Rock. Croc Creek consists of model Gemma Atkinson, Dickinson and Franks, who are all finding it hard to get along, while Snake Rock, with Anna Ryder Richardson from Changing Rooms and ex-footballer Rodney Marsh all seem to be getting along swimmingly.

The rows between Dickinson and Franks provided most of the entertainment last night, while the rest of the celebrities settled into camp. Not even a glimpse of skin last night, although the only beauties to look at this season are Atkinson and “J” from Five.

It is a clever show, but will probably suffer this time around due to its lack of actual celebrities. I must admit, most of the celebrities to enter the jungle this year are relatively unknown to me, apart from Atkinson who shot to fame when she quit Hollyoaks to get a boob job and appear bikini-clad in men’s magazines.

The first show was a little uneventful but will have me watching it for at least one more night, hoping something truly controversial and exciting will happen. Even the first bush tucker trial was a little too easy, as was the bungee jump and the canoe trip.

With the show’s viewing number consistently down over the past three seasons, ITV will have to come up with something a little more compelling in order to keep its viewers this year, especially considering the “D List” stars it has cast.

If it weren’t for Dickinson I probably would have stopped watching after the first half hour and switched to yet another re-run of Friends on E4.

To read the news story related to this blog, go to mad.co.uk