Former Rydal Penrhos pupil Dr Mark Baker and his Gwrych Castle project could host I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! in 2022.
The Gwyrch Castle restoration project started by former Rydal Penrhos pupil Dr Mark Baker could be in line to host the ITV hit show “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!” once again in 2022 depending on how COVID-19 health concerns impact potential travel plans to the Southern Hemisphere.
Dr Baker, who attended the school from 1996-2003, had a dream to restore the Grade I Listed castle back to its former glory when still a pupil after becoming mesmerised by the prominent landmark en route to Rydal Penrhos every day.
The Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust has done some truly incredible work restoring areas of the site which are now available for the public to enjoy. They were finally able to purchase the site in 2018.
The castle was left to rot for decades before Dr Baker’s plans began coming to fruition, which has seen the former pupil receive support from leading figures such as Prince Charles and Theresa May in recent years.
In addition to his efforts renovating the castle, Dr Baker is also the cabinet member for Arts, Heritage, Libraries and Culture at Conwy County Borough Council and recently managed to put plans in place to save the library in Colwyn Bay.
The ITV show recently concluded after an eventful three weeks, which saw celebrity contestants evacuated from camp for a few days and taken to separate locations without phones, internet or TVs as a precaution as Storm Arwen caused damage to the production.
A recent report indicates that I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! could return to the site next year, with an ITV source telling The Sun newspaper that Gwrych Castle has already been booked for a third consecutive year as a likely contingency plan.
“At the moment it is pretty much nailed on for a third year in the castle. Australia is opening up but could also snap shut at any time depending on how things go so that situation is far from being on an even footing. The executives are happy to stick with Gwyrch Castle for another year and then after that, the show might finally get back Down Under. But the viewers are understanding because Australia is super-strict so they know that getting back to Oz isn’t really feasible at the moment.”
Dr Baker and Rydal Penrhos still have a close association. The school held a community action day during Activity Week, which saw pupils and staff travel to Gwrych Castle for a clean-up project to get the site looking fantastic for visitors.
There was also plenty of excitement when Dr Baker visited the Prep section of the school’s last year to present certificates to pupils in Years 3-6 after they successfully completed a series of tasks with an I’m a Celebrity theme.
Following this year’s final, the castle released a statement that read: “We’d like to thank ITV and I’m A Celebrity for returning to Gwrych Castle for the second year in a row.
“It’s not been an easy ride for yourselves with the pandemic and most recently the storm to deal with, but we’ll be forever grateful for your support and hard work.”
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Anyone wishing to enquire about Rydal Penrhos School can do so by calling 01492 530155, email admissions@rydalpenrhos.com or register your interest online here: https://rydalpenrhos.com/admissions/apply-now.
