I'm A Celeb medic explains grim reason 2023 contestants will have to wear red socks

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! is back in business - and so are the red socks.

The lineup for the hit ITV show finally dropped yesterday (9 November) and viewers can now start placing their bets on who is going to crumble first.

A group of famous faces will knowingly be heading into the jungle to be doused with bugs and fed cocktails made from all sorts of creature's body parts.

The likes of Fred Sirieix, Frankie Dettori, Nella Rose, Tony Bellew, Nigel Farage, Josie Gibson, Nick Pickard, Jamie-Lynn Spears, Danielle Harold, Sam Thompson, Marvin Humes and Grace Dent will all be making their way into the jungle.

ITV

Britney Spears' sister Jamie-Lynn will be an interesting one, and champion boxer Bellew, who retired in 2018, will for sure be showing off his Scouse charm.

But this year's controversial pick - yes I said 'pick' - is politician Nigel Farage, who is seemingly following in the footsteps of Matt Hancock.

And it's a decision which has certainly proved to be controversial - with many people refusing to watch the show because of him.

One wrote on X: “This will be the first time in years that I’m not watching I’m a Celeb. I refuse to sit and see Ant & Dec laugh and joke with a man as vile as Nigel Farage.”

Another put: Nigel Farage on #ImACeleb this year? Welp, won’t be watching this year then. Urgh.”

The bush tucker trials will be an interesting one this year.

Now, regular viewers of the show will notice that the celebrities all wear red socks while they are in camp.

ITV

This isn’t just a uniform decision, but a decision based in something a lot more gross, according to a show insider.

And he should know too, he’s the medic.

Bob McCarron worked on the show for years before hanging up his stethoscope this year, and he told Woman’s Own a few years ago that the socks are actually to cover up blood splatters from the many and varied blood sucking critters that live in the jungle.

ITV

Basically, one of the pitfalls of being in the jungle is that you will get bitten, you will pick up cuts and bruises, and they simply don’t want the celebs to look too much like they’ve been through the wars.

Ahead of the new season, fans are already describing this year's line-up as 'one of the best I've seen in the show's history', while others already seem to have chosen the celebs they'd like to see go through the trials.

I'll leave that one with you to take a guess.