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

It feels like just yesterday we were watching Matt Hancock eat camel penis, but it's now time for a whole new batch of celebs to face exotic snacks and creepy crawlies.

Yep, it's I'm a Celeb time again, and we can't wait. Meet this year's contestants here:

For 2023, we’ve got the likes of Jamie Lynn Spears, Nigel Farage, Josie Gibson, Fred Sirieix, Sam Thompson, Frankie Dettori, Tony Bellew, Nick Pickard, Nella Rose, Danielle Harold, Marvin Humes and Grace Dent all heading to camp.

They'll all be donning the khaki as they take on various tasks and challenges while trying to keep sane in camp.

But there's one other specific thing they'll all be made to wear, and that's red socks - yes, specifically red ones.

It has nothing to do with the general aesthetic of the show; the reason behind the bold sartorial choice is actually quite gross.

ITV

According to a show insider, the red socks are not for uniform purposes, but actually due to all the critters in the Australian jungle.

Speaking to Woman's Own a few years ago, former camp medic Bob McCarron – who was on the show for many years – revealed the socks were actually used to cover up blood splatters to the cameras from the varied blood sucking critics living in the jungle.

RAAAAANK.

Essentially, producers don't want celebs to look battered and bruised while in the jungle, so the red socks make sense.

One person who will be donning the famous red socks this year will be none other than actor and singer Jamie Lynn Spears, who is best known for being the sister of Britney Spears.

ITV

Explaining why she decided to go into the jungle, Jamie Lynn said: “There is literally every misconception you can have on a person about me so I don’t take any of it seriously.

“But I do think going on I’m A Celebrity will be a nice way for people to see the real me. This is an opportunity to be myself and do something really cool and have some awesome experiences in the meantime.”

Jamie Lynn also admitted she was ‘scared of everything’ - which bodes well for us as viewers, but maybe not so much for her, adding: “Absolutely every one of these trials I am dreading. I haven’t looked at any of them and thought, ‘Oh cool, I could do that one’.”