I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here: Ant McPartlin returns to the show after drink drive arrest

Ant McPartlin finally made his long-awaited return to I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here on Sunday night, after his much-publicised break from the show.

The presenter, 43, joked that he’d taken a ‘year off’ as presenting partner Declan Donnelly gushed that they were ‘all back’ in Australia for the most dramatic launch show yet.

Ant’s arrival came as ten celebrities including Caitlyn Jenner, Nadine Coyle and Ian Wright endured some of the scariest opening challenges in the show’s history to make their way into the jungle.

As they introduced the show, Dec gushed: ‘We’re back, he’s back, I’m back, we’re all back,’ as they began the show by describing this year’s stars.

Ant didn’t avoid pointing out his break from TV duties last year, and after Dec struggled to deliver a line he said: ‘I’ve had a year off what’s your excuse?’

Ant’s re-arrival on the show came after he took a break last year amid various personal woes, with Holly Willoughby stepping in to replace him. 

His presenting duties were originally suspended by ITV in March 2018 after he was arrested following a road collision with a green Mini and a maroon BMW.

Ant later pleaded guilty to driving under the influence at Wimbledon Crown Court. He was banned from driving for 20-months and fined a British record £86,000 for drink-driving.

Speaking in August 2018, the presenter confirmed he was taking a temporary break from all presenting duties in order to focus on his recovery.

In a statement, he said: ‘My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off.

‘I’d like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year.’

Ant and Dec recently posted a snap of themselves to their Instagram account as they prepare to host the latest series of I’m A Celebrity.

The outing comes after Dec admitted that he thought he had ‘lost’ his best friend of 31 years for good when Ant was arrested for a drink-driving conviction last year.

Speaking in their ITV documentary Ant & Dec’s DNA Journey, Dec said: ‘It has been a tough couple of years and it has tested the bond we have shared since we were 13.’

At the start of the show, the ten celebrities made a dramatic arrival either on a speedboat or in the back of a luxury sports car.

Ian Wright, Kate Garraway, James Haskell, Nadine Coyle and Myles Stephenson met for the first time on a luxury yacht, with Girls Aloud singer Nadine quickly pleading with producers that she didn’t want to do a skydive.

Kate insisted she was up for any challenge in her later years, while James quickly confessed that he had never seen the show before.

The five stars were then stunned to see the remaining five celebrities – Caitlyn Jenner, Roman Kemp, Andrew Maxwell, Jacqueline Jossa and Adele Roberts – speeding past on boats to a remote beach.  

Following the brief introductions, Ant and Dec headed to the yacht and the beach, where they revealed that the celebrities will be competing against each other in pairs for a more luxurious camp with comfier beds and better food.

The boat celebrities – Ian, Kate, James, Nadine and Myles – would race to the shore by swimming for the chance to pick their partner first.

Ever the athletes, Myles and James were first to make it to the shore, with Nadine finishing third, Ian in fourth and Kate in last place.

As each partner was chosen, Myles was partnered with Roman, Nadine chose Adele after revealing that they’d met almost 20 years earlier; Ian chose Jacqueline and finally Kate chose Andrew.

Ian and Jacqueline, Roman and Myles and Andrew and Kate would battle it out to become the first power pair; leaving Adele and Nadine and Caitlyn and James to battle it out for the second one and a place in the better camp.

As the celebrities took off in separate helicopters, Roman and Myles, Kate and Andrew and Ian and Jacqueline were taken to the Focus Building, where they would face the dreaded Walk The Plank challenge.

Each of the pairs would have to walk to the end of a wobbling platform 300 ft in the air, and had to press a buzzer, with the winning pair pressing in the fastest time.

Up first were Ian and Jacqueline, but the actress broke down in tears at facing the prospect one of her fears, but eventually agreed to take on the challenge with the knowledge she was paired up with Ian.

Faced against the high winds, the platform constantly shook as the celebrities made their way along the platform and down the ladder before pressing the buzzer at lightning speed.

Despite a brief stumble Ian and Jacqueline eventually made it to the end of the platform and pressed the buzzer, and with Myles and Roman also completing the challenge.

Last to head to the platform were Kate and Andrew, and the breakfast star needed some words of encouragement as she squealed: ‘I can’t do it, I’m falling.’

Eventually the pair also made it to the end, and once Ant and Dec revealed the final times, Roman and Myles were the fastest duo and thus earned the title of the first Power Pair. 

Meanwhile, Adele and Nadine and Caitlyn and James were taken to a remote spot in the jungle, with Adele reading a laminate reading: ‘Celebrities you are about to embark on a challenge to discover who will become the final power pair. 

Situated downstream is the Pontoon of Doom containing 5 coloured tokens, the pair who retrieved tokens in the quickest time would be the final power pair. However, you will not be travelling there in your pairs. 

James and Adele canoed downstream to their Pontoons which are locked and to open them, Caitlyn and Nadine must skydive from 10,000 ft to collect the keys to open them, you’ll then reunite with your partner at the Pontoon.

‘Oh my god, I thought the helicopter was bad enough’ said Nadine. She continued ‘I love a nice canoe, I really do, a nice relaxing canoe.’ Adele said ‘I tell you what, I’ll call the canoe Nadine after you.’ Nadine looked and said ‘Hopefully not in memory of’ Adele laughed.

At the prospect of a jump from 10,000 feet in the air, Nadine burst into hysterical tears, which led Caitlyn to comfort the star and insist she could complete the challenge.

First to take the leap Caitlyn loved the challenge after saying she’d always wanted to skydive after 40 years as a licenced pilot, gushing: ‘That was so much fun, I want to do it all again, I just want Nadine to get down and be OK.’

Nadine was terrified as she started to jump, and after some screaming appeared to enjoy the ordeal. As she landed she said ‘That was amazing’, Caitlyn gave her a big hug and said she was ‘very proud.’

Nadine and Caitlyn collected their keys and life jackets and went their separate ways to join their partners at The Pontoon of Doom.

Caitlyn joined James and they got into their canoe and travelled to The Pontoon of Doom and Nadine did the same, joining her partner Adele.

The klaxon sounded and both pairs started to unscrew the tokens from inside holes full of critters, which sparked incessant screaming from the Big Brother star.

As both pairs eventually completed the challenge they were reunited with the rest of the celebrities, before being told that Nadine and Adele completed it in the fastest time despite her screaming and joined Myles and Roman as the two power pairs.

A dirty jeep pulled up to the chagrin of the six losing celebrities to take them to the so-called ‘Rough Camp’, and before long many of them were screaming with fear as they spotted a lone spider on the windscreen.

James quipped: ‘That spider is so big it should be driving.’

Dinner couldn’t come a moment too soon for the hungry campers – but their dining experiences could not be any different, as the main camp were rewarded with kangaroo shanks, while the outsiders had just menial portions of rice and beans.

In a series first the stars were cooking on a gas stove rather than a campfire following the recent bushfires in Australia.

As their final day in camp drew to a close, Ant and Dec revealed that votes were finally open for the first Bushtucker Trial of the series, and it was appropriately named Bugged Off.

Heading into the main camp, the presenting pair announced that Caitlyn and Kate were going to face the trial which would see them try to hit a target while lying down in a perspex box packed with various critters. 

It now remains to be seen how they cope with the challenge, especially as they will playing to win food for the celebrities in the luxurious main camp.

I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here continues on Monday at 9pm on ITV. Extra Camp airs straight after the main show on ITV2.