I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here bosses have been encouraged to provide contestants and crew with PPE (personal protective equipment) should this year’s series go ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A number of TV shows are returning to film, and although there’s yet to be official confirmation on whether or not the reality series will be going ahead in December, a lawyer has highlighted that strict health checks and access to medical equipment need to be in place in light of Covid-19.

Discussing the legal implications that I’m A Celeb producers will need to consider,  Michael Hatchwell, a Partner at Child & Child, exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘As an employer, your legal responsibility is to keep your workers safe, even if they are working for you overseas.

‘In theory, if the cast and crew are permitted to travel and work at the filming location, and do so in compliance with all relevant rules, they wouldn’t face any issues.

‘However, Covid-19 has complicated the issue, as different countries are and will be implementing their own rules about separation and what is and is not permissible. Therefore, the employer will need to ensure that the local rules are understood and complied with, both by themselves and by their employees, and that all reasonable precautions are taken.’

Hatchwell continued: ‘Employers will also need to check that their insurance policies cover Covid-19 provisions. Otherwise, the employer may be failing in its obligation to ensure its employees as required by law.

‘It would also be sensible to ensure access to medical facilities and Covid-19 tests on-site, as well as the provision of PPE and washing facilities, with very clear guidelines as to usage.

‘Another way that employers can demonstrate the additional care being taken to keep the cast and crew safe is by having a dedicated health and safety person versed in Covid-19 safety practices present on-site at all times, even if not strictly legally required, to monitor that rules are being followed and to advise on good practice.

‘Written guidelines, covering personal hygiene, distancing, PPE and more should be issued to the crew, along with a summary of all the rules to be followed on location and in the jurisdiction of the location.’

While there is a lot to consider on the legal front, I’m A Celeb bosses might also face challenges in terms of actually flying contestants and crew over to Australia to film – not to mention having to quarantine everyone both before and after their stint in the jungle.

Firstly, Australia might not even allow tourists to enter the country come December. And if travel restrictions are lifted, the cost of an airfare might be too expensive and quarantining, too long, to justify running the show.

Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk travel risk expert Lloyd Figgins, said: ‘The first thing we need to look at is the government’s foreign and commonwealth advice, which currently advises against all but essential travel. Until the government lifts that advice, no one will really be going anywhere so it will be really difficult to get the contestants from the UK to Australia.

‘The other problem is whether or not those countries will allow people who are not citizens to come into their country and be in close confinement with one another.’

‘They will then need to quarantine all the contestants before the show and probably then on an arrival in Australia,’ Figgins continued. ‘The same thing would then have to occur after the show as well. As contestants become eliminated, they will probably have to go into some form of self-isolation before they reintegrate into society.

‘The flights will be very expensive, but the alternative might be that if restrictions are lifted in this country, whether or not they are lifted at such a degree that they could perhaps run a UK version of I’m A Celebrity.’

At the time of writing, the death toll for coronavirus in Australia stands at 98. Meanwhile, over 33,000 people in the UK have passed away from Covid-19.

Metro.co.uk has contacted ITV for comment.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here usually airs in December on ITV.

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