What I’m a Celebrity Can Teach Businesses About What Not to Do

I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! is excellent entertainment. But behind the Bushtucker Trials lies an unlikely masterclass in leading a successful team.

The new season has already delivered everything we expect from the jungle: nervous arrivals, Ant and Dec reveling in celebrities’ discomfort and creepy crawlies sending contestants into panic mode. It has also offered some crucial reminders about what small business leaders should avoid if they want a cohesive workforce.

Whether or not you’re a super fan of the reality series, here are some tips that can help your team win a few more stars.

Surprise Challenges Create Chaos

The first Bushtucker Trials always arrive at the worst moment. One minute you’re settling in, the next you’re Kelly Brook crawling through a fish-gut-laden cage. Few workplace challenges are that extreme, but it’s still rare for people to excel when blindsided.

Constantly dropping urgent priorities on your team without notice or processes leads to panic and mistakes. Fast-paced businesses function far better when strategies, communication and support are already in place.

Don’t Let One Person Become the Default Trial Victim

Every season has a contestant who gets voted into trial after trial. The workplace version is the same two or three people rescuing every deadline. This doesn’t build a stronger team – it builds burnout.

Rotate responsibilities, set boundaries and make sure the same people aren’t always handling the messy jobs. Regular workload check-ins and cross training spread pressure and build resilience.

Your Team Needs Consistency, Not Just Big Announcements

Ant and Dec appear at the perfect dramatic moment, deliver the news and vanish. Great for TV – not so good for leadership.

A 2024 academic paper  on employee performance in European SMEs found that “transformational leadership”, defined by motivation, stimulation and individualised consideration, drives performance more effectively than transactional, task-only leadership. If leaders only show up for pressure moments, teams drift. They need support before and after trials, not just during them.

Teamwork Is Strongest When Everyone Feeds the Group

Even mismatched camps rally behind whoever is about to face a tank of eels because success affects the whole group. Teams work best when goals are shared and wins benefit everyone.

In fact, our research has found that recognition-rich workplaces are 40% less likely to face retention issues. 

Safety Can Turn Panic Into Progress

Even the bravest contestants wobble when insects rain from above. Whether they recover depends heavily on the camp around them. Supportive chatter and reassurance turn meltdowns into wins.

Workplaces are no different. Psychological safety helps people admit struggles early and perform better long term. Employment Hero’s 2025 Work that Works survey shows employee wellbeing is the top productivity driver for leaders this year.

Debriefs Matter

Contestants’ post-trial reflections often determine their future success. Understanding what worked – and what didn’t – prepares them for the next challenge.

Businesses need the same rhythm. Short, honest debriefs after high-pressure projects help teams learn and adapt instead of repeating mistakes.

A Recipe for Success

Teams that thrive in the jungle do so for predictable reasons: They communicate. They share responsibilities. They support one another. They prepare properly. Small businesses face their own version of trials every day, and it’s not nerves of steel that keep crises at bay – it’s good leadership, steady teamwork and the right support when things get a little hairy.

Teams that thrive in the jungle do so for predictable reasons: They communicate. They share responsibilities. They support one another. They prepare properly. Small businesses face their own version of trials every day, and it’s not nerves of steel that keep crises at bay – it’s good leadership, steady teamwork and the right support when things get a little hairy.ld ask how to make it work for everyone.