Welcome to the Jungle!

The line-up for this year’s ‘I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!’ (no need for all the usual gags, we know that word is used very loosely) has been confirmed and perhaps more than any previous year it’s provoked the standard reaction of "who?!?".

This year’s batch of celebs includes Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, Westlife singer Kian Egan, Snooker legend Steve Davis and 90’s American TV icon Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, as if you didn’t know). Throw in a couple of soap actors, a reality TV star, a talk show host, a fashion designer and the standard tabloid eye candy, and you have the full class of 2013.

It’s easy to mock but compared to other reality shows such as Celebrity Big Brother or Strictly Come Dancing, I’m a Celebrity... does have a proven record of both launching and re-launching careers.  Joe Pasquale, Phil Tufnell, Kerry Katona and Peter Andre all benefited from their time in the jungle (even if it meant the latter had to marry Katie Price in order to do so), landing new work and commercial deals which they would never have secured were it not for the show.

Despite what the programme makers will have you think, they are fully aware however that most people tune in purely to see their least favourite contestants endure the very worst of the bush tucker trials and have some spectacular meltdowns along the way. Last year’s whipping girl was former Corrie actress turned lads mag favourite Helen Flanagan who was constantly chosen by the viewing public to take part in the gruelling and in some cases damn right gross, challenges which often resulted in her crying hysterically or quitting before they had barely got started.  Despite the public’s apparent dislike of Flanagan, she was the star of 2012’s series and there are strong rumours that ITV are planning to add her to this year’s line-up after viewing figures soared during her time on the show, though that could of course just be the standard tabloid hype before a new series.

It’s difficult to predict who will be this year’s standout star, though we expect talk show host Matthew Wright to rival former contestant Paul Burrell for the most annoying screamer title, Miss Great Britain winner Amy Willerton to be the most photographed on the tabloid front pages and TOWIE’s Joey Essex to be the camp’s token idiot.

The winner is always tricky to predict but we will be voting for Carlton...but only if he promises to do the dance.