I’m A Celebrity crew fought over who got to film Helen Flanagan’s steamy shower scenes
LUCKY I'm A Celebrity camera-men fought over who would film Celtic WAG Helen Flanagan in the waterfall in her bikini.
It is one of a series of hilarious secrets, unveiled by The Scottish Sun on Sunday, from behind the scenes of the hit ITV show which returns for its 19th series next Sunday.
There was also competition to film other celebs including Myleene Klass and Katie Price.
We also tell how jungle love might have gripped early contestants Darren Day and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson – if it weren't for his relentless farting.
And we expose star secrets like how they smuggled in spices to liven up dull meals and perfume to get rid of the campfire smell, while former world champion boxer David Haye was caught trying to smuggle in mobile phones.
But those who were there right at the start of the show in 2002 still cannot believe how hugely successful the starvation-and-bug-torment recipe has proved.
Co-creator and executive producer Richard Cowles recalls his nervousness at the start.
He said: “On the first series I found myself standing in the middle of the camp, minutes before the celebrities were due to arrive.
"There was fear — and not just because there were a lot of venomous snakes in the jungle surrounding that first camp.”
That initial fear about the show was that it would turn out to be a hugely expensive ratings disaster.
Instead, it started out as an immediate ratings hit, with 11million viewers, and the figures have gone up from there, peaking at 13million.
It was on that first show that Tara and Darren became the first couple to almost find jungle romance.
Entertainer Darren, 51, and the late IT girl sparked with sexual tension during the inaugural series in 2002 but any chance of romance fizzled out due to his flatulence.
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Tara — who died in 2017, aged 45 — had shocked viewers by declaring to Darren: “I’ll tell you why I am very uptight. It’s because I think you are so f***ing sexy.”
But when he was accused of flatulence by the socialite, he apparently fessed up: “With all due respect, I’m a farter. I’m sorry.”
Dejected producers could not believe that a first-season romance had been scuppered by some breaking wind.
Meanwhile, the most hotly fought contest on the show is for the right to be the cameraman who gets to film those famous waterfall showers.
It is a prize battled for every single morning in the Aussie jungle before the daily wash.
The crew’s biggest bust ups have been for the right to shoot the close-ups of Myleene Klass during the 2006 series, Katie Price in 2004 and 2009, Helen Flanagan in 2012 and Amy Willerton in 2013.
Scriptwriter Mark Busk-Cowley, who has worked on the show since its creation, reckons he knows why so many campmates strip off.
He said: “If you’ve got a hot bod, there’s nothing like wandering around the jungle in a bikini to win some votes.
“The younger celebrities are well aware of this and, more often than not, it’s when evictions are on that the clothes come off.
“The moment those phone lines open, you’ll find our sexy young things diving into the pool or heading off to the shower for the third time that day.”
Ructions among the cameramen have also broken out over the contestants’ body odour.
When the ITV series began, the celebrities were forbidden from wearing deodorant, to make their jungle ordeals more miserable.
But the move proved most distressing to the camera crew, who protested until the ban was overturned.
Show co-creator and executive producer Natalka Znak confirmed: “It was awful. The camera crew were complaining about it, it was that bad.”
The latest series will see the return of Anthony McPartlin to hosting the show alongside Declan Donnelly.
This year’s line-up includes US reality star Caitlyn Jenner, former Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle, breakfast TV favourite Kate Garraway, former England ace turned soccer pundit Ian Wright, ex-EastEnders actress Jacqueline Jossa and former England rugby star James Haskell.
They all know they are in for a fearful ordeal. But it could all have been far worse for them.
When planning the first series, producers wanted to limit the celebs to just one pair of under-pants each. It took a huge row before the limit was upped to three.
Natalka said ruefully: “I still think one pair would have been plenty.” And another early plan was to make the celebs forage in the jungle for their own food.
But Natalka admitted: “It was too risky because there were things in the jungle that will poison you in minutes.”
None of the creators predicted the first series’ biggest behind-the-scenes row, though.
Contestants including Tara and Darren complained they had nowhere private to change. Co-creator Richard went into action quickly.
He said: “I invented what I called a ‘modesty smock’ — basically, a sheet with a hole to put your head through.
“It turns out it was exactly what they wanted. We’ve used it ever since and never changed the design.”
Another constant source of trouble is the issue of contraband smuggled into the campsite.
Nutritionist Gillian McKeith, 55, sneaked in spices in specially adapted pants, and singer Jimmy Osmond filled a teddy bear with salt and pepper.
Amy Willerton was twice caught with contraband. She was forced to hand over make-up and an extra bikini when producers threatened to take food away from camp if stars didn’t hand smuggled items in.
But she held on to her favourite Union Jack pants. David Haye tried to bring in phones, Kim Woodburn sunglasses and Wayne Sleep, plasters.
Former contestants have also revealed what goes on just before contestants go into the jungle.
Corrie actress Helen Flanagan’s biggest concern was making sure that she had time for one more spray tan.
Katie Price bought a large bottle of Chanel No5 and sprayed the entire contents over her clothes in a pre-emptive strike against the stench of smoke from the campfire.
Meanwhile, just before filming of the 2012 series began, boss Becca Walker had to tell MP Nadine Dorries that she had been suspended from the Conservative party because of her decision to go on the show.
Becca recalled: “We decided it would be unfair of us to let her go ahead into the jungle without letting her know she had been fired.
“We said to her, ‘It’s up to you, we know this is your career’ — but she made the decision to carry on.”
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Still, the trials have remained cruel enough to reduce many celebs to gibbering wrecks — notably Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell in 2004 and former EastEnder Dean Gaffney in 2006.
They are moments of TV magic and, despite all the preparation that goes into each series, nobody ever knows when they will happen.
Richard Cowles is quoted in tell-all book I’m a Celebrirty . . . Get Me Out of Here! The Inside Story: “For all the forward-planning, the reality of how celebrities respond is always different, and often way better than we ever expected.”
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