The real reason Ant and Dec cover their watches on I’m A Celeb, and it’s quite cruel

Ant and Dec have been the figureheads of ITV’s I’m A Celeb for years, so why am I only now learning why they cover over their watch faces?

Ant and Dec have hosted I’m A Celeb since 2002, pulling in a staggering amount of money and keeping us entertained during the stressful Christmas period. But while I see their faces more than some of my own family members, it seems there is still a layer of mystery to them. Namely, why do they tape their watches during I’m A Celeb?

Credit: I’m A Celeb

The reason Ant and Dec cover their watches

Each year, I’m A Celeb viewers take to Twitter with burning questions about Ant and Dec covering their watches, sometimes with what appears to be a plaster you’d use on a wound.

“Is Ant’s watch covered because of cameras or because of the sun reflection? @antanddec or am I seeing things?” one person questioned, as another echoed,  “I don’t get why do Ant & Dec have their watches always covered #ImACeleb.”

Turns out there’s a very sensible, albeit cruel, reason.

“Ant & Dec’s watches are covered to stop the celebs finding out what time it is – they have no idea, as no clocks in camp,” the show’s official Twitter account explained.

The exact reason why they can’t know the time is still a mystery, after all, it’s not like the celebs have got anywhere to be or Zoom meetings to get back to the UK.

Never noticed that Ant and Dec cover their watches so the celebs don't know what time it is haahah that's well mean

— Chloe 🪐🫧⚡️🪩✨ (@Chloe_DEathx) December 4, 2016

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Former contestant Scarlett Moffatt earlier told the Huffington Post that she thinks it’s to throw contestants off their game, explaining: “It’s so the campmates don’t know the time, so all the watches are covered for the people that see the campmates all the time, like Ant, Dec and Medic Bob. Think it’s just so you’re really disorientated, like we had no concept of time.”

It’s only recently that Ant and Dec have begun to wear smartwatches, making it considerably easier to manually switch them on and off whenever contestants are around.

Is banning the concept of time not kinda cruel?

We all know how important sleep is, so surely cutting off someone’s perception of time is going to wreak havoc with their sleep clock, also known as Circadian rhythm. In turn, this can contribute to a disrupted sleep-wake cycle, body temperature fluctuations, mood changes, and disrupted hormone release, the Alzheimer’s Association says.

I’m A Celeb is not the only reality TV show to remove their contestant’s perception of time, with Love Island also removing clocks from the villa.

“Obviously we’re completely unaware of the time, but there’s been nights when we get into bed and the sun is literally coming up… And then you’re up about five or six hours later and it’s like dinner time,” former Islander Danny Williams earlier told Capital.

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Featured image credit: YouTube/I’m A Celeb