Yahoo Finance Abergele local gives insight into Welsh town's 'I'm A Celebrity' support after show relocates nearby
Residents of the Welsh town where I'm A Celebrity is being filmed this year appear to have keenly embraced its presence.
The ITV reality show is usually filmed in the Australia but has relocated to Gwrych Castle in Abergele for 2020 due to coronavirus travel restrictions.
Locals have welcomed the cast and crew with open arms, with supportive displays adorning the windows of businesses in the town, and now one resident has given a closer look.
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TikTok user Marni Birchall shared a video showing how local businesses have gone crazy for the show, writing: "It's 2020 and you live in the town I'm a Celebrity's getting filmed in this year."
Pubs, restaurants and local supermarkets can be seen showing their support in the clip, with images of presenters Ant and Dec plastered on windows, banners and even mannequins.
"Imagine getting transported here from 2019, and everyone’s wearing face masks and Ant and Dec are plastered around town," the TikToker captioned the video.
The success of the video warranted a part 2 that showcased even more shops adorned with images of the Geordie presenting duo.
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The knitted likeness of this year's contestants was also shown sat on top of a postbox, complete with a small castle and some spiders.
Elsewhere, large models of creepy-crawlies had been placed around the town on buildings, hinting at the creatures that often appear in the show's Bushtucker trials and in the Australian jungle.
A side of one building had been graffitied with the show's title above the image of a giant bug.
"ITV overlords Ant & Dec continue to reign over the unsuspecting town of Abergele," Birchall joked in the caption.
The videos prompted another TikTok user to ask how the town “genuinely” felt about the show being based there.
Birchall replied: “Everyone seems to be really on board and excited! Only downside is there seems to be a fair bit of traffic through town now – but small price to pay!"
Gwrych Castle has fallen into a state of disrepair after standing unused for many years, but the castle trust is hoping to renovate the impressive estate.
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Mark Baker, founder of the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, said it intends to open to the public following some intense rebuilds after the show carries out a few “urgent works”.
Meanwhile, back in October, a GoFundMe page was set up for the historic site in the hopes of raising £50,000 to go toward establishing a water supply and electricity.
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