Where is Gwrych Castle? Everything you need to know about the new I'm A Celeb filming location

This year's series will see the celebrities swap the Aussie jungle for a castle in North Wales
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Abigail Malbon27 August 2020

This year’s edition of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! will look a little different to past series, as ITV has confirmed it will be filmed in Gwrych Castle in Wales.

The location has been changed for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and fans can expect a very different show as it will be filmed in the depths of the British winter.

“The Australian jungle is such an integral part of the show, it was a big challenge to find a UK location where we could continue to deliver what viewers love about I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!" Richard Cowles, director of entertainment at ITV Studios, said.

“But Gwrych will definitely do that – the castle sits in an amazing and atmospheric setting on a hillside overlooking the Irish Sea.”

Where is Gwyrch Castle?

The castle is location near Abergele in Conwy, North Wales. Those who have travelled from Chester to Llandudno, Bangor or Anglesey will have spotted it during their drive.

How to pronounce Gwrych Castle

The pronunciation of the word uses the classic Welsh glottal 'Kh' sound (as in Scottish loch), and the w is silent, so it sounds a little like 'grick.'

6 facts about Gwrych Castle

Here’s what you need to know about the new filming location...

It’s haunted

Allegedly. The ghost of the Countess of Dundonald is said to prowl the castle ruins, and visitors have reported sightings of an angry woman in white.

It was saved by a schoolboy

In 1997, then-12-year-old schoolboy Mark Baker launched a campaign to save the derelict castle.

He formed Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust to raise awareness of its history, and even wrote to then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and Prince Charles. The trust finally bought the castle in 2018.

"Every day I walked past on my way to school and would marvel at this castle - it was just somewhere magical and seemed so impressive with its 18 towers," he said.

It’s also known as “hedge castle”

Gwrych means “hedge” in Welsh, and family legend has it that the first hedge was planted in Wales here.

It was built in the early 1800s

Between 1812 and 1822, to be precise. Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh built the castle as a memorial to his mother's ancestors, the Lloyds of Gwrych.

It was used in World War II

During the second World War the castle was used by the government to house 200 Jewish refugee children who had fled the Nazis.

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Its new role will help fund improvements

Dr Mark Baker, chairman of the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that I’m A Celebrity has chosen Gwrych Castle to be its UK location for the 2020 series.

“Gwrych Castle is a beautiful grade I listed 19th century house and a must-see destination for tourists visiting Wales.

“I’m A Celebrity being here will really help support Gwrych Castle and its ongoing restoration as well as giving the region a much-needed economic boost.”

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