I’m A Celeb: Arlene Phillips reveals what really happened during the storm

This year’s series of I’m A Celeb has been eventful to say the least—although not always in the way we might have hoped. In an unprecedented move, the celebs were moved out of the castle camp for three days when Storm Arwen hit and caused severe damage to parts of the show’s production. Viewers know celebs were moved back into their pre-show quarantine accommodation, but what exactly was the experience like for them?

Arlene Phillips speaks out

After being voted out first by the public this Sunday, former Strictly judge Arlene has revealed what the celebs were and weren’t allowed during their brief respite from the castle. She said:

We definitely didn’t get our phones back, I wish. The only thing we had to watch was Netflix. No news, no family contact, nothing. We spent a day in the castle, we didn’t know where we were going to go, what was going to happen. We got taken into separate houses, we were given some food. For me it was a blessing in disguise. It was weird being in isolation.

As well as Netflix, Arlene also admitted that she was allowed to get hair dye delivered, so she could redo her roots before heading back into camp. She described it as ‘the biggest thrill of a lifetime.’

Castle contraband

While in quarantine, celebs are also thought to have been given regular meals as opposed to castle rations. And some campmates were keen to avoid going back to the strict diet of rice and beans, as several of them attempted to sneak extra food back into the castle. A selection of boiled sweets, apples, coffee sachets, and biscuits were confiscated from the celebs when they headed back to camp—but Simon Gregson did manage to smuggle in some salt and pepper to make the rice and beans a bit tastier.