Unusual advises on I’m a Celebrity aerial stunts
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Unusual’s Robin Elias has worked with ITV on the hit show for years and, while the show was filmed in Wales, a team of Unusual riggers headed by senior production rigger, Sam Carter, were on set, rigging and operating the challenges. With the show’s return to Oz, Australian-based Tri-Point Rigging were once again contracted to manage and execute the project locally, with Unusual Rigging consulting with Tri Points’ Graham Dew & Damian Green, on two of the key challenges.
Robin commented, “It’s a great pleasure to once again work with the I’m a Celebrity team, devising more hair-raising stunts that seem to get a little bit crazier with each passing year. This year, we were pleased to get to consult on the entry challenge - The Ledge – a revamped version of the infamous Walk the Plank challenge that had featured in previous years.”
Taking place 33 storeys above the ground below, on the roof of The Focus Building in Queensland’s Surfers Paradise, three campmates were asked to step out onto a plank. What they didn’t know was that, once they were out on the very end of the plank, the rest of the plank would disappear from behind them, leaving them only with the plinth they were standing on, plus a sloped edge. Once all three celebrities were out on the plinths, they were asked to let go of the rope behind them, causing them to fall off the ledge and hurtling towards the ground.
Tri-Point Rigging finalised the designs after consultation with Unusual Rigging, executing delivery and operating all the rigging and safety systems on the ground. This was done to the highest standard which was clear to see – even just by viewing it from the comfort of one’s own living room.
The other challenge that Robin consulted on was pleasantly titled Horrifying Heights. For this Bushtucker Trial, comedian Babatúndé, who had been vocal about his fear of heights and was unable to complete The Ledge, was attached to a harness and placed on a ring-shaped truss structure, hanging from a crane, way above the ground. Dotted around the structure were small boxes containing unknown creatures, through which he had to rummage in order to locate the stars required to earn his team meals. There were three levels to the circular structure, with the upper level only accessible via a rickety-looking ladder. The torrential rain and wind added to the comedian’s misery, making the platform slippery and causing the structure to swing.
Robin added: “Once again, the ITV/ I’m a Celebrity production team were fantastic to work with – it would seem there is no limit to how challenging or creative these trials can be and Unusual is proud to be relied upon for helping to turn these wacky ideas into a reality that looks horrifying but ultimately has the safety of the contestants at its heart. We are happy to hear that both trials were extremely successful and ran seamlessly and Unusual is delighted that Tri-Point managed them so flawlessly.”
