I’m a Celebrity South Africa 2026 confirms major format shake-up for grand final episode

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Ant and Dec have announced that the last episode of I’m a Celebrity South Africa 2026 will be different from the usual format, with some big changes planned.

I’m a Celebrity South Africa is a special all-stars edition of the popular ITV show. This season, celebrities will face even more challenging trials as they compete to be named the “Legend of the Savanna.”

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! is typically filmed live, with Ant & Dec hosting from a studio in Australia – which is 11 hours ahead of the UK. Viewers can vote for their favorite contestants, and the eliminations happen live on the show.

The first season of the South African All Stars version of the show, which aired in 2023, was filmed entirely in advance. This meant viewers couldn’t vote to influence the challenges or decide who won.

Ant & Dec announced today at the show’s launch in London that, although season 2 was filmed in South Africa last year, the final episode will be broadcast live, and the winner is still to be decided.

Instead of flying 12 hours back to South Africa, the celebrities will all come together in a studio in the UK, where viewers will vote to decide who is crowned this year’s I’m a Celebrity Legend.

Ant & Dec, speaking with previous ‘I’m a Celebrity…’ winner and ‘Unpacked’ host Sam Thompson, confirmed the next season will be filmed live in the UK and broadcast on television.

We’re bringing back all the contestants, and the finalists will be in the studio with us. We’ll have a live public vote, just like we do in Australia, to determine who becomes the Legend.

Even though the final is taking place in the UK, the celebrities didn’t have an easy time in camp. The challenges this season are predicted to be especially tough.

Myleene Klass really shone when she won in South Africa, especially during the final challenge – it was the best we’ve ever seen! This year, we decided to let the public choose the winner, but to reach the final, the contestants will face tougher challenges than ever before, as Dec explained.

The second season of I’m a Celebrity South Africa is coming next month, and we’ll soon find out who will be named this year’s Legend.

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I’m a Celebrity… South Africa returns next month.

I’m so excited about the new season of I’m a Celebrity… South Africa! I’ve added it to my watchlist on the TopMob app – it’s great for getting daily TV recommendations and finding out what’s new. You can download the app now if you want to stay up-to-date on all your favorite shows!

Authors

Phoebe Kowhai BarnesFreelance Writer

Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a freelance writer specializing in pop culture and entertainment for TopMob. Before that, she was a Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab, where she oversaw their local team. She holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Nottingham.

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2026-03-10 00:34