Uncovered: Could you survive in the I’m A Celeb camp? 

It’s fair to say that camping in the UK has seen a surge this year due to the effects of COVID-19 on international travel. In fact, more Brits are going camping than ever before.

In 2020, searches for ‘camping holidays’ and even ‘glamping holidays’ increased by 18% and 28% respectively. tombola also found that searches for ‘wild camping’ - which is camping outside of the boundaries of a regular campsite (think the I’m A Celebrity camp) - have risen by 36%, suggesting Brits are keen to experience less traditional holidays.

With that in mind, and with the start of the first ever UK version of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! around the corner, tombola surveyed 1,000 Brits to reveal if they really can survive in the wild for three weeks.

Read on to find out what Brit’s luxury items would be if they were to enter the camp, whether we could live with the infamous bugs and even the most sentimental region… You might be surprised.

1 in 3 Brits couldn’t cope without their phone for three weeks, even if it means they don’t have access to the internet

During the series, celebrities are allowed to choose one luxury item to take into the camp with them. So, tombola asked the general public what they would choose. According to tombola’s survey, phones are Brits’ most prized luxury item. 40% stated they would have to take their phone with them if they were to go into the camp for three weeks, even if it means they wouldn’t have access to the internet or be able to contact anyone.

It’s also women who value their phone more than men, with 41% saying they couldn’t cope without their phone.

Coming a close second is a photo of family. However, only 20% surveyed said they would take a family picture with them if they were unable to contact them for three weeks which is surprising as a family keepsake is one of the most common luxury items celebrities take into the camp.

1 in 13 would take a picture of their pets over their family as their luxury item

There are around 51 million pets in the UK, just 23% short of the entire population of the UK. So, it’s no surprise that 1 in 13 (7%) would take a picture of their pets over their family if they were to head into the camp for three weeks.

What is more surprising, however, is how much people love their car…

4% of Brits would take a photo of their car over any other item to the I’m A Celebrity camp for three weeks

It appears a surprising amount of us have a particular affection for our car, with 4% unable to cope without a picture of their beloved vehicle for three weeks. 1 in 25 would take a photo of their car over their phone, family and pet pictures and even toiletries. We wonder if we will see some unusual luxury items this year.

When digging deeper into the data, tombola found that 6% of men said they would be more likely to take a car photo with them, compared to just 2% of women.

More surprisingly, however, is that 10% of men stated they would take makeup into the camp with them for three weeks, while only 6% of women prioritised makeup, suggesting the men of the camp could be more concerned about their appearance on the show.

But who is the most sentimental UK region and couldn’t cope without a family keepsake?

People in Wales and London prefer a hairbrush to a family photo as their luxury camp item

Both residents in London and Wales said they wouldn’t cope for three weeks without their hairbrush and would take that as their luxury item over a family photo.

13% of Londoners and 15% of Welsh residents went for a hairbrush over family keepsakes. However, it appears that those in the Midlands are the most sentimental, with both 27% of people in East and West Midlands saying they would need a picture of their family if they were to enter the I’m A Celebrity camp for three weeks.

However, could Brits really survive living in the wild for three weeks…?

Women are better prepared to survive in the camp for three weeks than men

There might have only been eight female I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! winners, compared to 11 men in the show’s history, but it’s the women surveyed who believe they could survive better in the camp.

37% of women said they knew how to build a shelter, while only 34% of men stated they could. Likewise, 33% of women surveyed said they would manage without seeing their family for three weeks, while only 28% of men said they could cope.

A recent study actually found that, under extreme conditions, women are able to survive for longer than men. So, could we potentially see a woman take the crown this year?

99% of people aged 18-24 couldn’t catch their own food

tombola surveyed different age groups and found that those aged 18-24 lacked the basic survival skills needed for the camp. A staggering 99% wouldn’t know how to catch their own food, meaning there would be a lot of nights going to bed hungry.

97% of 18-24 year olds surveyed also said that they definitely couldn’t live alongside bugs if they were to go camping, which could explain why there have only been three winners within that age group in the show’s history.

Not surprisingly then is that the average age of the I’m A Celeb winner is 36. However, tombola discovered that those aged between 45-54 are actually more likely to survive the camp for three weeks.

In that age group, 40% said they could build a shelter. Likewise, the largest number of people who said they could catch their own food without any help and get to sleep without worrying about the infamous bugs was those between 45-54, which could mean we see an older winner this year.

87% of Brits said they couldn’t sleep outdoors due to the bugs

According to tombola’s survey, only 13% said they could sleep without worrying about the infamous bugs, meaning there would be a lot of sleepless nights for the other 87%.

The bugs have become a staple part of the show, with even searches for those creepy crawlies increasing during the three weeks the series is on screen. Luckily for you, we’ve pulled together how to remove bugs from your home if you happen to come face to face with them…

88% couldn’t start a fire without any equipment, meaning it would be a cold three weeks in the camp

Building a fire is part and parcel of the show, with the celebrities expected to keep the fire going throughout the three weeks, as well as use it to cook and boil water. And, with the camp now set in the harsh Welsh countryside, a fire is more important than ever.

But it turns out that Briton’s aren’t prepared for the wilderness, with 88% stating that they wouldn’t be able to build or start a fire without any help.

Surprisingly, however, a third (30%) said they could cope without seeing their family. Those surveyed stated that they were more worried about catching food and living with bugs than missing their family or anything else.

So, it seems not many of us could survive in the camp for three weeks, at least not without a picture of our pet or car…