I’m a Celeb 2025: do they use real animals and insects in Bushtucker Trials? Explained
I’m a Celeb’s Bushtucker Trials are gruesome and memorable 👀🌴📺
- I’m a Celeb is famous for its Bushtucker Trials.
- The gruesome challenges push stars out of their comfort zones.
- But what are the rules around them using bugs?
A brand new series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here is upon us and that means only one thing. Plenty of Bushtucker Trials to thrill and revolt viewers in equal measures.
As bad as they look from the comfort of your sofa in your home, imagine being the celebrities sitting down to take them on. The rules around using live insects have changed over the years.
But as you tune in over the coming weeks, you might be wondering if real bugs are used. Here’s all you need to know:
Do they use live insects in Bushtucker trials?
For the trials that do not involve eating, the insects, bugs, and creepy crawlies used on I’m a Celebrity, real animals are used. Back in 2021, Metro reported that an ITV spokesperson explained that it “implements rigorous production practices to ensure that animals are handled safely before, during and after the filming period”.
However, in a big change post 2019, the show has stopped using live insects for trials that involve eating bugs. In the past, the bugs the celebs were forced to eat had been live but that has changed.
Instead, I’m a Celeb now uses dead insects for the eating trials after backlash from animal rights groups.
Other live animals like snakes have been used in Bushtucker Trials over the years.
What happens to animals after Bushtucker Trials?
The Metro reports that live bugs used in the trials are collected using a grate system and then donated to zoos, wildlife trusts and sanctuaries once the show is over.
ITV explained: “We regularly review the measures we have in place and develop them in line with any requirements following engagement with the local authority and other regulatory authorities to ensure they are fit for purpose.”
See the full cast for I’m a Celeb 2025 here. Plus see how audiences have reacted to the line-up reveal.