There’s a reason I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! is staged in Australia – the country is full of poisonous and unpleasant creatures.
This year’s cast are now in the thick of it and will come face to face with one of the species of animals which is guaranteed to give viewers the shivers – snakes.
Here are the types of snakes that appear in I’m A Celebrity.
Which snakes are used in I’m A Celeb?
The most famed element of I’m A Celeb is the bushtucker trials, which will see stars having to confront their fears in order to win meals and rewards for their campmates. In tonight’s show, influencer Vogue Williams is left shrieking during the trial, as she is locked in a cage with Celebs Go Dating’s Tom Read-Wilson – the pair were the two late arrivals to the camp – – with snakes released to slither all over them.
Vogue Williams surrounded by snakes in a cage during a bushtucker challenge on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here on November 22, 2025 | ITV
The Tents of Torment bushtucker trial is of a piece with previous challenges, which often involve tight spaces and either reptiles or creepy-crawlies.
Among the snakes introduced are non-venomous varieties such as carpet pythons, tree snakes and keel blacks.
Has anyone been bitten by a snake on I’m a Celeb?
Yes – several. All-star contestant Shaun Ryder came second behind Stacey Solomon in 2010, but became a firm viewers’ favourite for his bravery in the bushtucker trials. Ryder was bitten by a young Australian carpet python during his last appearance on the show ahead of the first public vote.
Ex MP Lembit Obik was also bitten by a snake during the same challenge on the programme.
After the trial Ryder described his experience and said: “All right. It’s a bite, a snake bite. If that weren’t someone’s animal I would have f***g smashed it! It was like sticking your hand through a sheet of glass and it wouldn’t let go.”
Over the course of I’m A Celeb history there have been several cases of people being bitten by a snake while participating in a bushtucker trial.
English actress Emily Atack was bitten during the 2018 series. The Inbetweeners star faced the first trial of the series and was handed the task of retrieving 10 stars from a chamber consisting of insects and snakes. During the trial Atack was bitten by a snake on her hand, however she persevered with the trial and won nine stars for her campmates.
The late Australian cricket legend Shane Warne was bitten on the head by a non-venomous anaconda during the 2016 series. Warne was taking part in a trial which involved him dunking his head into a tank of snakes to retrieve stars. The bite was subsequently treated with an antiseptic fluid and the cricketer showed no signs of infection.
And 48-year old presenter Toni Pearon was also repeatedly bitten by a snake during the Australian version of I’m A Celeb in 2021. The medics on the show revealed she was bitten on five occasions. Pearson suffered no injuries as a result of the incident.
Has there ever been an unscripted snake drama on I’m a Celebrity?
Before the 2022 series of I’m A Celeb it was reported that a highly venomous snake had made its way into the campsite just days before the celebrities moved in. The snake was believed to be a red bellied snake and it was spotted just inches away from a crew member.
A show executive told The Sun newspaper: “A red-bellied black snake made its way into the camp and decided to curl up just inches away from the head of a stand-in as she slept in her bed. The snake is very common in this part of Australia but is very venomous and could of been nasty with the bite causing bleeding and vomiting.”
In 2023 a poisonous snake came within yards of eventual winner Sam Thompson – and had to be removed from the camp immediately. The small-eyed snake was just yards from his bed when camp rangers steamed in to remove it, as the species can prove fatal as it is so venomous, even though it is usually very secretive and not often seen during the day.