I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Set Construction Underway Amid Animal Rights Controversy

Construction on the jungle set for "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!" is well underway, with the show scheduled to return for its 26th series on November 16. Aerial views reveal significant progress, showing workers erecting steel structures, platforms, and walkways across the sprawling site in the Australian rainforest.

Presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are set to return to host the series. The first teaser for the upcoming season has already been released. Last year's series attracted an initial viewership of 11.3 million, with total cross-platform reach of 23.4 million, representing 38 percent of the television-watching population.

Meanwhile, the animal rights organization PETA has renewed its criticism of the show, citing its "relentless reign of animal exploitation." PETA has created Halloween costumes depicting the show's presenters as perpetrators at a crime scene to protest the program's use of animals in its notorious "Bushtucker trials." These trials often involve celebrities being placed with live animals or being required to consume creatures like spiders, mealworms, and cockroaches.

PETA states that the show's practices have led to thousands of complaints to the UK's broadcasting regulator, Ofcom. The organization advocates for the removal of animals from the show, with PETA Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen asserting that animals "never sign up to be confined, terrified, or killed for a cheap laugh."

PETA's concerns are rooted in past incidents, including a 2009 prosecution of ITV in Australia after a contestant killed and cooked a rat. The following year, the program pleaded guilty to two charges of animal cruelty and paid a fine. PETA is calling on ITV to cease the alleged cruelty and remove animals from the show's format.

"I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!" is set to air on ITV, ITVX, STV, and STV Player in November.