Ant and Dec I'm a Celebrity
Ant and Dec in the jungle. ITV

Social media has been buzzing with positive messages about the new series of I'm a Celebrity, with some dubbing the opener on Sunday night (19 November) as the "best episode yet".

Reaction by fans was broadly positive, with one Twitter user saying that the lineup is "the best ever", another saying that it will be "the best series ever".

Writer's pick

Unsurprisingly, there was an early reference to Ant McPartlin's recent trials with rehab in Los Angeles where he spent the summer when Declan Donnelly jokingly introduced him as Holly Willoughby.

The new line-up entered the luxury villa on Australia's Gold Coast which included the usual motley group of celebrities from all walks of life.

Key among them was Stanley Johnson, the father of foreign secretary, Boris, who mistook Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas, for a footballer.

Johnson, 77, was praised on social media for his comment that "As long as women are happy, men are happy".

The stars were paired up ahead of their trip into the jungle, with Hollyoaks star Jamie Lomas joining up with 'Coronation Street' actor, Jennie McAlpine while vlogger Jack Maynard went with 'Made in Chelsea' star, Georgia Toffolo.

Johnson got stand-up comic Shappi Khorsandi while former footballer Dennis Wise was paired up with Rebekah Vardy, wife of England footballer Jamie Vardy. Singer Vanessa White was told that she would be on her own until it was revealed that her celebrity partner would be the boxer Amir Khan.

The first task was to win meal rations, with some of the group walking a plank off a skyscraper. Dennis Wise and Shappi skydived into a lake and set up a flare, while Vardy had to put her hand into a box of rats in the hell hole challenge.

With four meal tokens, the group had to decide on who got rations with the meal tickets going to Vanessa, Jennie, Georgia and Rebekah. The episode ended with Amir and Georgia getting chose for the first Bushtucker trial.