Storm Arwen damaged the show’s outdoor setting on Friday, causing I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here to be in chaos.
The extreme weather had a devastating effect on the large, white tent which was used to shelter a number of vans and trailers during production. Onlookers claimed that all crew members were forced off the site because of dangerous conditions.
Because of safety concerns regarding contestants at Gwrych Castle, North Wales (and Bosses), they had to record Friday’s show before the public. The hosts Ant and Dec recorded their segments later that day.
Shock! Shock!
Declan Donnelly and Anthony McPartlin, presenters of Friday’s episode, did not live-stream the event for the first time in 19 years. They recorded their segments in advance as the storm was worsening.
The tent roof was ripped off in sections, exposing scaffolding and buildings that could be demolished below strong winds and rain.
The following photos show the extent of damage to the tent that had fallen into a vehicle for recreational purposes and expose a number of metal poles.
Storm Arwen was due to impact the region around 9pm Friday. ITV airs the episode at the same hour.
Oh no! The show’s bosses made the decision to pre-record it because of safety concerns about contestants at Gwrych Castle (North Wales).
Be Worried: Saturday’s images show extreme weather’s destructive impact on a large tent made of white, which was used to protect a number vans and trailers.
MailOnline received this statement from ITV: “Tonight’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Out Of Here!” Due to Storm Arwen in progress and the precautionary steps we are taking on production, this show will not be broadcast live but rather as a prerecorded program.
‘Ant & Dec will record their links early evening and these will be played out during tonight’s show. We have plans to protect our celebrities and staff from any weather, so we will keep them inside the castle.
The duo shared their thoughts on the setting change in an Instagram clip, which was uploaded ahead of the show. Strong winds and storms can clearly be heard behind them.
Dec explained: “So you may have heard that the wind and Storm Arwen forced us to tape the show an hour earlier than usual tonight. It is terrible, the winds are strong, and you can actually hear it rattling. We have to do it now so that we get out of this mess.
Tragic: Following shots exhibited the damage done to a subsequent tent, which had collapsed into a recreational vehicle and exposed a series of metal poles
Terrifying: Sections of its roof had blown away, which exposed scaffolding structures and demountable buildings beneath to strong wind and rain
The satellite will be down, and everyone fears that this could cause it to crash. Live shows can become very risky. It will need to be recorded as it is our first attempt at that.
Then he joked that it was windy and worse because he had lentils for lunch. Ant also feels a little windy!
Frankie Bridge (star) and Naughty boy (stars who disagreed on Thursday’s program over rice will have to face more tensions as the storm threatens, forcing contestants into the frozen castle.
Gwrych Castle is under severe pressure from gale force winds, rain and falling tree branches. Safety signs have also been taken down.
Eek! Eek!
Met Office warned that there could be worse for castle area tonight, following a severe storm.
Security guards brought in to Gwrych Castle by eleven celebrities to safeguard them had to abandon their posts after the first heavy blasts. They had to move fencing that had been damaged or destroyed by extreme weather to retrieve it.
The road signs that were held in place by sand bags had to be blown away so drivers could not veer off the road.
The producers of the show had to make emergency plans to safeguard its stars, who were staying at the castle built in 1913 by the producers.
Weather woes: The castle had been taking a weather battering with gale force winds and driving rain bringing down tree branches and safety signs
According to the Met Office, Storm Arwen would bring strong winds from the north into parts of Wales and western England on Friday and Saturday.
Gwrych Castle, located high on a hill overlooking an open area is less than one mile from Liverpool Bay that borders the Irish Sea.
Met Office stated that flying debris can cause injury or risk to human life.
Some roads and bridges will likely close. Power cuts could occur with potential for disruptions to other services such as cell phone coverage.
Large waves, beach material and other debris thrown on to properties and roads along the coast can cause injuries and death.
Amendments: A guard fixed some of the security fencing at Gwrych Castle ahead of the arrival of Storm Arwen
Elsewhere, red alerts – warning of a ‘danger to life’ – have been issued across the northeast of England and Scotland for the first time in three years as Britons are warned to prepare for flooding, blizzards and power cuts.
Red warnings will be posted in all areas, including Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Edinburgh) and Aberdeen, from Friday afternoon until Saturday morning at 2 AM.
The Met Office has warned that public transport will not be available in the Red Zone. They also said roofs might be torn off or ‘power lines cut’.
The Met Office advised commuters that temperatures fell well below the average Friday to -4.4C, in the Lake District. This was due to the Met Office warning of “flying debris” which could cause havoc on roads, bridges, and railway lines.
ITV stated that it had made preparations for heavy winter storms and advised the stars of its shows that they might need to take safety precautions.
MailOnline was informed by an I’m A Celeb spokesperson that Storm Arwen is being monitored and contingencies are in place for all possible weather conditions.
Diana Pritchard (a local retired dentist assistant) said that she and Ian live near the castle. She stated: “We were warned that this storm would last nine hours starting at midnight. It will be extremely terrible.”
Location: The 19th century castle is positioned high up on a hill in an open space, less than a mile from Liverpool Bay which borders the Irish sea
Bad weather: The area around the abandoned Welsh castle was flooded with signs and fencing.
“I wish they took care of celebrities up there. It will be cold, windy, and rainy. Who knows what storms might do to trees and to the structure of walls surrounding the castle.
Sharon Roberts, 41-year-old charity worker from Rhyl said that she lives close to the coast. As the waves will be quite strong, I worry about the ocean and the damage it could do to houses.
“But it would be a terrible thing to go up in that castle. It’s not likely they’ll get enough sleep.
I’ve watched the episode and found them to be very unhappy with their morale. It makes me wonder how they will react.
It won’t improve their spirit. It will make me good TV. This year’s show was not as good because nobody knows the identities of most people. However, a storm in the castle would be quite dramatic.
Safety first: ITV said it was making preparations for the heavy winter storm and had advised its show’s stars that safety measures may have to be taken
After Storm Arwen’s overnight destruction of the UK, more than 81,000 homes were left without power.
Yesterday, Northumberland saw nearly 100mph gales and one Northern Irish man died after his vehicle was hit by a tree.
Although the Met Office’s red warning for severe weather ended early today, forecaster John McKinney said that yellow and amber wind warnings remained. He predicted gusts up to 70 mph today in some areas and heavy flooding on the North East coast.
Safety concerns forced the postponement of Friday night’s Rugby union Premiership match between Worcester Warriors & Newcastle Falcons.
Warning: Yellow, amber, yellow, wind, and snow warnings for Scotland and Northern Ireland were sent out Friday. The alerts then extended to the rest of the UK Saturday