It's no secret that swathes of celebrities have become noticeably thinner in the past few years – with many losing the weight thanks to the formidable rise of weight loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy.
It makes sense, then, that these drugs would eventually find their way into popular celebrity reality TV shows like I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Apparently, this year stars on the ITV gameshow who are already taking prescribed weight loss drugs will be allowed to take them into the jungle.
This is for a number of reasons, best explained by Dr Alexis Missick, a GP who works with UK Meds. 'For as long as the show has been on, celebrities have been able to continue taking prescription medication,' she explains. 'This year, contestants who have been prescribed Ozempic or any other skinny jabs will be able to keep taking them.'
Regardless of their intended use, weight loss drugs or 'skinny jabs' are prescribed medication and it can potentially be dangerous to suddenly stop taking them. 'If you stop taking skinny jabs it often leads to weight being put back on as you regain a full appetite and increase your food consumption. Those taking Ozempic as diabetes medication will experience an increase in blood sugar levels, which may be damaging to their health,' Dr Missick adds. 'When people stop taking Ozempic or any other skinny jab, all effects are reversed. Those using the medication for weight loss may experience rapid weight gain.'
Skinny jabs or weight loss drugs refer to the regular injection of medications, administered either daily or weekly using a pen-like device. They were originally used to treat type 2 diabetes in adults but are now commonly used to avoid hunger, reduce calorie intake and facilitate weight loss.
There are various types of weight loss drugs that some of celebrities headed into the jungle next month may have been prescribed. These include Saxenda, Weygovy and Mounjaro, but they are most commonly referred to as Ozempic.
As for what this means for the show, a lot of the jeopardy and tension in camp is based on the celebrities' growing hunger after weeks of eating rice and beans and the odd kangaroo testicle.
It's likely that if some or many of this year's stars are on medication that suppresses their appetite, we may not see the usual scenes of contestants arguing over biscuits and feeling disappointed when they don't win enough meals to feed the whole camp.
While a lack of appetite might benefit some of the contestants in the short-term, it may also affect their energy levels in tasks and their overall ability to endure the challenging environment of the jungle.
Not only that, but Ozempic can cause nausea (Stephen Fry famously tried and discarded the drug after it made him repeatedly sick), which wouldn't do anyone jumping out of a plane or walking across a 20 ft wobbly bridge any favours.
The line up for this year's series is yet to be announced, but as weight loss drugs are becoming part of the mainstream there are more famous faces admitting that they've tried them.
Celebrities who have been open about trying Ozempic include Kelly Osbourne, James Corden, Elon Musk, Amy Schumer, Oprah Winfrey, Chelsea Handler and Jeremy Clarkson.
It will be interesting to see if any of the stars taking the drug into the jungle this year discuss doing so – or address their motivation for trying the injectables in the first place.
Most recently, health secretary Wes Streeting has suggested Ozempic could be used to help unemployed people get back into work. He said 'widening waistbands' were placing a burden on the NHS. 'The long-term benefits of these drugs could be monumental in our approach to tackling obesity,' he added. 'For many people, these weight-loss jabs will be life-changing, help them get back to work, and ease the demands on our NHS.'
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across pop culture, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things TV for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow shows with equal respect).