I’m a Celebrity has brought in more than £1m to the Welsh economy

Gwrych Castle trust insisted on the use of local firms and businesses

The 20th season of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! has brought in over £1 million to the Welsh economy, according to the owners of Gwrych Castle.

This year, the hit ITV reality series relocated from Australia to Conwy, Wales as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The Gwrych Castle trust insisted that local firms were given employment as part of the deal allowing I’m a Celebrity use of the centuries-old property.

Mark Baker, chairman of the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, told BBC News that ITV fulfilled the promise to use Welsh contractors wherever possible, including on-set builders and for crew accommodation.

“The programme is one of the biggest TV productions in Europe, and that’s been reflected in the number of people on site and the amount of money that’s been spent in the area,” he said.

Read more: Inside the ‘haunted’ castle where I’m a Celebrity is filmed

“Local companies have supplied everything from the t-shirts the celebrities are wearing to the bags of castle coins that they win in their daily challenges.”

A view of Gwrych Castle, where the latest series of I’m a Celebrity is filmed (Getty Images)

According to Baker, roughly 50 Welsh businesses were hired in order to prepare the castle for filming alone. 

The final episode of the series is set to air tonight, with presenter Vernon Kay, Radio DJ Jordan North and author and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher all vying for the ultimate prize.

I’m a Celebrity airs tonight (4 December) at 9pm on ITV