Celebrities are in short supply, but so far 10’s gamble is paying off

The fifth season of I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! arrived unseasonably early and opened with hosts Julia Morris and Chris Brown merrily listing people who would not appear on the show. After viewers had been subjected to months of relentless "Who's going into the jungle?" teasers aimed at igniting interest in the latest round of what is essentially Big Brother Goes Bush, it seems that few of the high-profile targets that the producers hoped to hook took the bait.

The intro went like this:

Shane Crawford is unimpressed with the first course of his meal in I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.Credit:Charlie Sperring

Julia: We've promised you names and OMG are we going to deliver."

Chris: "Names? How's this for starters . . ."

Grub’s up for Justine Schofield and Natasha Exelby.Credit:Charlie Sperring

Julia: "Ian Thorpe. Lindsay Lohan. John Cena."

Chris: "We asked. They all said no."

Julia: "Sophie Monk. That hot guy from Aquaman."

Chris: "We left him a message. Didn't call us back."

Yvie Jones and Angie Kent in I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.Credit:Charlie Sperring

Julia: "Schapelle Corby. Tony Abbott. Warwick Capper."

Chris: "Didn't even ask them. Except for Capper."

Ajay Rochester tests her fear of heights in I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.Credit:Charlie Sperring

It was an appealingly tongue-in-cheek routine and possibly a glimpse of an unfulfilled wish list. It also indicated that something less headline-grabbing was about to be revealed with the latest bunch of "celebrities" signing up to eat yucky stuff and have uncomfortably close encounters with scary wildlife.

And, OMG, the show delivered on what it wasn't going to deliver. Among the initial batch of contestants willing to face the challenges, deprivations and humiliations that could be dreamed up to test them were former senators Jacqui Lambie and Sam Dastyari, the latter the star of a pilot for Network 10 that wasn't picked up last year. There was an assortment of TV presenters and personalities: Luke Jacobz, Richard Reid, Natasha Exelby, Ajay Rochester – who once hosted The Biggest Loser on Ten – and Justine Schofield – who currently presents a daytime cooking show on 10. Then came Angie and Yvie from Gogglebox, a show 10 shares with Foxtel. More recently, stretching the description of "Hollywood A-lister" to previously unimaginable extremes, the intruder joining the camp was revealed as Katherine Kelly Lang, a cast member of The Bold and the Beautiful, the afternoon soap that screens on, yes, 10.

Chris Brown and Julia Morris unveil the new breakfast menu in I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.Credit:Charlie Sperring

A desperate network appears to have mined its books for possible participants: it's almost surprising that the Studio 10 team hasn't parachuted into the campsite yet for morning tea. Add in comedian Tahir Bilgic, because it's always handy to have a comedian in the mix, and male model and Love Island escapee Justin "what's an electrode?" Lacko, whose combination of physical attributes and cluelessness is reliably entertaining.

(NB. Possibly due to the inclusion of two former AFL champions, TV personalities Dermott Brereton and intruder Shane Crawford, Capper did not make the cut. Well, there's always next year…)

Following the opening-night reveal and the inevitable, associated debate about the actual meaning of the word "celebrity", in many ways, the public profiles of the jungle dwellers ceases to be an issue. Whether they're A-listers, B-graders, Cs or desperate wannabes becomes less important as regular viewers – and there's been a sizeable number of them this season – get to know the contestants. As episodes go by, the audience warms to them: they choose their favourites and the ones they like to hate. People might initially switch on to see Bernard Tomic or Shane Warne, but if they stay tuned, the players become familiar and the game is on.

The attraction is the prospect of seeing the contestants thrown together in a hostile environment that they can't control and propelled into tests of strength and character. Some bond, some scheme – although there are few schemers this time – some display surprising resolve and unexpected talents.

Overall, in spite of a glaring shortage of celebrities, 10 made a few smart and potentially risky decisions and has been rewarded for them. Celebrity's unusually yet sensibly short run wraps before the network's rivals really fire up their big guns at the start of the ratings season. And launching early has proved a ratings winner, possibly as there's been little competition beyond sport.

Most nights, Celebrity has drawn comfortably more than 700,000 viewers nationally. And, in what must feel like sweet revenge for the network that built the Big Bash League into a summer drawcard and then lost the rights, it's regularly out-rated the BBL on Seven.

Guided by its American bosses at CBS, 10 has embarked on a determined light-entertainment campaign that focuses on broad-appeal, family oriented fare. Maybe it's seen as the potential salvation for besieged free-to-air broadcasters. So, this year, the line-up includes the new variety show, Sunday Night Take Away, Show Me The Movie and Hughesy, We Have a Problem, as well as revivals of Dancing With the Stars and Changing Rooms.

It's too early to assess the wisdom of that strategy, but when it comes to the handling of Celebrity, you'd have to say so far, so good.

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