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

(Image credit: Netflix)

published 10 February 2025

Quick Summary

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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.

TOPICS

Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.