Why would ten sort-of-famous people want to spend time together in the Australian rainforest and be made to perform disgusting tasks? Could it be the prospect of lucrative job offers when they Get Out Of There?

When former E17 frontman Brian Harvey appeared on GMTV the other morning, presenter Eamonn Holmes asked the obvious question: "Why?" It's what we all want to know. What makes someone want to subject themselves to two weeks living with a group of strangers in the Australian rainforest and being forced to eat slugs, be buried alive with rats, and be showered in bugs?

Amazingly, ITV1 has found ten sort-of-famous people willing to participate in the fourth instalment of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! Not so much celebrities as has-beens, wannabes and mighthavebeens. Not A, B, C or even D list celebrities, but those deserving a letter somewhere much nearer the end of the alphabet.

I didn't hear Harvey's reasons for going but it was probably something along the lines of wanting to show the public that he'd been misjudged over past events. This is his chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the viewing world.

While we're being entertained by the suffering of the celebrities in the Bushtucker trials as they rough it in the jungle, they're using the series as an attempt to improve their image or boost their career in a PR stunt of Max Clifford proportions.

What are a few snakes or bugs when agents are waiting with cheque books and job offers at the other end? As soon as they're booted out by the public vote, contestants head for the nearest posh hotel to sift through the offers being made.

The evidence suggests that two weeks of jungle inconvenience can lead to lots of new, well-paid opportunities. Veteran DJ Tony Blackburn, the first to be crowned King of the Jungle, found himself much in demand again when he returned home victorious. Phil Tufnell got to lead one of the teams on They Think It's All Over and Kerry McFadden, the first Queen of the Jungle... well, she's getting a divorce. Jordan and Peter Andre, on the other hand, got together in the jungle and have stayed a couple.

I can think of celebrities I'd like to send to the jungle for two weeks. Early reports for the new edition suggested Anne Charleston, alias Madge from Neighbours, was in negotiation to go down under. She didn't make the final list which is a pity because, having seen her twice in pantomime, I'd like her to suffer as well.

And there was a time when the nation wanted to send someone straight back to the jungle after interior designer Linda Barker began to appear in every commercial break selling sofas or electrical goods.

So what are we to make of the current crop? Harvey fulfils the requirement for a faded pop star to be among the celebs, although it's unlikely he'll be as much fun as the Sex Pistols' John Lydon was last time.

His encounter, coated in treacle and birdseed, with a load of hungry ostriches eager to peck him was one of the highlights.

Lydon was one of the celebrities who tried to beat the game, finally leaving when he thought he might be in danger of winning. He quit claiming he "didn't want to become Des O'Connor". Well, who would?

Janet Street Porter may fulfil the role of camp cynic this time. In the past she's criticised the show as "the pathetic outpourings of a bunch of second division achievers". This is hardly likely to endear her to her fellow jungle dwellers. If she gives them any lip, they may chuck her in the alligator pool whether it's a Bushtucker trial or not.

Street Porter joins a list of the usual suspects - models, singers, comedians and someone you've never heard of (and who usually turns out to be a model).

The producers ensure there's a good supply of supple young women who look good in the jungle uniform of bikinis and T-shirts.

After the list was announced, Gossard model Sophie Anderton was named by the bookies as joint favourite to win, along with ex-All Saint Natalie Appleton and model Nancy Sorrell (the one you haven't heard of, although you will know her husband Vic Reeves).

The jungle catwalk should be interesting as the trio compete to see who can look most glamorous without much make-up. Sorrell, an underwear model and face of Ann Summers, has apparently vowed to wear very little.

The voice of experience will come from 70s diva Sheila Ferguson, formerly of the Three Degrees, who were one of Prince Charles's favourite acts. Comedian Joe Pasquale is also known for his voice - it's very squeaky. The others won't known whether there's a strange bug in the camp or Pasquale is speaking.

Nightclub owner Fran Cosgrove is an unknown quantity. Presumably, they couldn't get Peter Stringfellow. Cosgrove has a similar reputation with young ladies and you can't help wondering how he'll get along with the hattrick of hotties called Anderton, Appleton and Sorrell.

A late entrant into the jungle equation is Antonio Fargas, best known as Huggy Bear in the original Starsky And Hutch series. He was a cool dude in that but will he keep his cool under the hot Aussie sun?

Even if the celebrities think they've got the game sussed, they can't count on fooling the viewers all of the time. When ex-EastEnders star Daniella Westbrook pleaded that she wanted to go home because she missed her husband and children, sadistic viewers voted off someone else.

* I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! begins tomorrow on ITV1 at 9pm.

Published: 20/11/2004