Netflix's new no. 1 makes I'm a Celebrity look like a kids' show

The type of shows that hit the number one spot on Netflix tend to be big budget sci-fi series, watercooler sequels, or documentaries / dramas about serial killers, but currently sitting at the top of the UK charts is something very different.

A British reality show starring a man best known for his survival skills and drinking his own bodily fluids currently reins supreme, and for good reason. I binged all eight episodes of season 1 on the streaming service and loved it

Celebrity Bear Hunt | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

Watch On

Celebrity Bear Hunt has a bonkers premise – it's like I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here crossed with the first Predator movie. You can also add a little Battle Royale / Hunger Games for good measure, and the end result is gripping TV.

12 UK celebs battle it out in a Costa Rican jungle to become the ultimate Celebrity Bear Hunt champion. Not only does that involve competing in daily survival challenges set by the eponymous Bear Grylls, the losers have to enter the "Bear Pit" – a fenced-off, 7km-squared section of the landscape, where they are stalked and hunted one by one by the man himself.

The celebrities who are caught within the time limit are up for eviction, while those who escape or evade capture remain on the show.

Critics have largely been unimpressed by the show, but what do they know? If you're the sort of person that would like to see Spice Girl Mel B traverse a crocodile-infested pool on a lump of wood, or find out how Ted Lasso star Kola Bokinni reacts when being chased along a rocky riverbed, this is the show for you.

Other stars taking part include ex-tennis sensation Boris Becker, fresh from his prison exploits, and rapper / cook / TV presenter Big Zuu.

It's all a very easy watch and not too taxing, but also refreshing after the one millionth or so series of I'm a Celebrity... and the unbending, testicle-munching format it hawks each year.

And, if its number one spot on the streaming list is anything to go by, I'm far from alone in hoping Celebrity Bear Hunt returns for a second season.