ITV has confirmed that I'm A Celebrity… South Africa will return for a second series in 2026, with presenting duo Ant and Dec back to front the show and viewers given a live public vote to decide the winner for the first time.
The broadcaster said the 2026 run will feature a fresh cohort of returning campmates, "bigger trials than ever before" and a live finale broadcast from the UK in which the public will choose the programme's next "I'm A Celebrity… Legend." The spin-off, which first aired in 2023, relocates the familiar survival format from the Australian jungle to a tougher South African setting.
Ant and Dec announced the renewal in a short social media video shared to their accounts. Ant said: "It's us with some big news. Coming to ITV in 2026 is the return of I'm A Celebrity South Africa! This time, there's a twist because the finale will be coming to you live from the UK and you at home will pick the winner who will become an I'm A Celebrity legend." Dec added: "Hang on a minute, so the viewers will pick the winner? Where do we get these mad ideas from?"
ITV entertainment director Katie Rawcliffe said the broadcaster had been "blown away by the love for the first series" and described the debut run as "a true celebration of the show's history," adding that viewers enjoyed seeing favourite campmates return. Tom Gould of Lifted Entertainment, which produces the programme, said the South African setting will test returning celebrities "to their limits," and that the live final would allow the audience to determine who "truly deserves the title of I'm A Celebrity Legend."
The inaugural I'm A Celebrity… South Africa series in 2023 brought together several well-known former contestants, including boxer Amir Khan, nutritionist Gillian McKeith, presenter Joe Swash and television personality Carol Vorderman. Myleene Klass won that series and was crowned the first "I'm A Celebrity… Legend."
ITV said the 2026 edition will expand the scale of the challenges and trials and promised new twists and surprises consistent with the format's history. The network gave no exact dates for the 2026 run but said the series will air on ITV1, STV and the ITVX streaming service.
No casting details or a full contestant list have been released. ITV and producers have said they will announce further information, including the format for the live final and scheduling, nearer the broadcast window next year.