Fans are less than impressed.

Much to the chagrin of fans, the 2026 season of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Australia is set to be pre-recorded and not air live.

The news was confirmed by TV Blackbox in late May, who reported that the reality series was dropping the live format due to budget cuts at Channel 10.

It is understood that by filming the series in advance, the network will be able to spend less on the show, as they will no longer need the overnight post-production team.
NRL legend Sam Thaiday was the winner of I’m A Celeb in 2025. (Credit: Channel Ten)
By scaling down the on-site crew in South Africa and removing the staff responsible for filming and editing together the episodes for the show’s previous live daily turnaround in real time, it is expected that 10 will be able to save a significant amount of money.

7News has since reported that the change has left the crew of the fan favourite series fuming, as the new schedule will see them working to a gruelling production timeline with no days off.

If filming does indeed take place in advance, this would mean that live public voting to save celebrities and put them forth for jungle trials will be scrapped – a major change for the show.

Fans tuning in from home will also have no say in selecting a winner, nor will they be able to “vote” for their favourites to take home the $100,000 prize money to donate to a charity of their choosing as the 2026 season of I’m A Celeb will have finished filming by the time the first episode airs.
Robert Irwin and Julia Morris have hosted I’m A Celeb together for two seasons now. (Credit: Channel Ten)
In the latest financials available for the television station, as reported by the Australian Financial Review, Network 10 recorded a $322.1 million loss in 2023. Given this, it’s not a huge surprise that 10 has made a decision to move away from the live format, especially considering the UK edition of the series is also filmed in advance.

While Channel 10 have yet to confirm when season 12 will premiere in 2025 or which celebrities will star, it is expected that hosts Julia Morris and Robert Irwin will return.