A Day in the Life of a Reality TV Cameraman

When audiences tune in to I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here: Australia, they see the adventure — the laughter, the tears, the creepy-crawly chaos. What they don't see are the people just beyond the frame: the camera crews trudging through red dust and thick jungle, shouldering thirty kilos of gear so viewers at home can feel like they're right there in the camp.

I'm one of them. My name's Jan du Toit, and I'm a camera operator on the ENG team — short for Electronic News Gathering. If a celebrity leaves camp, we're right there beside them, filming every reaction, every quiet reflection, every step through the bush. It's exhausting, unpredictable, and unforgettable.

Dawn in the Jungle

My day begins before the first bird stirs. At 5:00 a.m., a shuttle van rattles up to my accommodation in the half-light. My assistant, Thabiso Ndlazi, and I climb aboard, bleary-eyed but already planning for the day ahead.

By 5:30, we reach base camp, the beating heart of production. Breakfast is quick — eggs, coffee, and a glance at the call sheet. Around us, departments buzz into life: sound teams test radio packs, runners hand out handheld radios, and logistics finalize plans for the day's movements.

Then comes the gear check — the most important ritual of the day. My main tool is a Sony PDW-800, a workhorse camera built for tough conditions. I mount it on my Sachtler tripod, power it up, and check the back focus on the zoom lens — even slightly off and the image can be out of focus when zooming the lens. Next, I do a black balance to calibrate the camera to the jungle's shifting light, then sync the timecode via a cable from production so every camera matches in post.

I pack enough V-Lock batteries and recording disks for a full day — once we leave base, there's no coming back for spares. Everything goes into our backpacks: batteries, disks, rain covers for both ourselves and the gear, water, snacks, and a lightweight rain jacket. Weight distribution matters — every extra kilo feels like ten after a few hours of hiking.

Before heading out, we test our handheld radios. With no mobile coverage in the bush, they're our only link to production. We also confirm our emergency bushfire escape route — the safest path to an open clearing if a fire breaks out. Out here, you never take that plan for granted.

The Camera Department Ecosystem

The camera department on I'm a Celebrity runs like a small city. There's the Studio Team, who film the presenters inside the studio — usually during live broadcasts or links to the audience. Then there's the Hides Team, working around the clock from camouflaged hides that surround the camp and remotely operating PTZ cameras so the celebrities can be filmed discreetly.

And then there's us — the ENG team, the ones on foot, hiking everywhere, capturing what happens beyond camp. We film the contestants swimming at the waterfall, collecting wood, trekking to a trial, or simply talking about life away from the cameras they can see. We're the show's eyes and ears on the move.

Our work is guided by field producers Scott Browning, Danika Armytage and Lisa Fardy, all masters at reading the day's storyline. My sound operator, Juan Kindo, keeps close — wrangling his boom, wireless packs, and levels while staying invisible to the eye. Thabiso monitors focus and swaps disks on the fly. We move as one, wordlessly syncing after weeks of working side by side in the wild.

Walking Into the Wild

Once we leave base, the jungle becomes our office. There are no vehicles — we walk everywhere, carrying our gear on our backs. The terrain is brutal: steep ridges, loose shale, tangled vines, and heat that feels like it's pressing down from every direction.

Footwear is everything. Good boots aren't just comfort — they're survival. The ground can turn slick after a sudden downpour, and I've seen soles disintegrate halfway through a shoot.

The weather in this part of Australia changes fast. One minute, it's clear blue sky; the next, it's a tropical downpour that soaks you to the skin. That's why each of us carries rain covers — not only for ourselves but for every piece of kit. A single drop in the wrong place can kill a camera.

Filming on foot means constant juggling — setting up tripods on uneven ground, adjusting zooms, and keeping balance while watching for snakes underfoot. But it also brings us close to the world we're capturing. The bush hums and crackles with life; you feel every breath of it.

Capturing the Story

A typical day might start at the waterfall, where the celebrities wash off the dust and chat among themselves. It looks relaxed on screen, but behind the camera, we're constantly repositioning to catch every exchange. Juan threads his boom between trees while I adjust angles to make the moment feel natural and cinematic.

Later, we might follow the group on their walk to a Bushtucker Trial. The Trials Team — a separate, dedicated unit — handles the multi-camera coverage once the challenge begins, but it's our job to capture everything leading up to it and the aftermath once it's over: the nervous jokes, the silent prayers, and the relief when it's done.

Every shot tells a piece of the story. We focus on reactions, on body language — the moments that reveal who these people really are when the adrenaline fades.

The Quiet Work

When the day's main filming wraps, we often switch to cutaway duty — capturing the beauty and texture that hold the story together. Thabiso and I might spend hours filming close-ups of spiders, snakes, lizards, flowers, or wide, slow pans of sunlight filtering through gum trees. These snippets might only appear for a second or two in the final edit, but they add rhythm and life to the episode.

Sometimes, we're sent to film off-site at game reserves where celebrities interact with cheetahs, elephants, lions, hippos, or vultures. Those shoots are breathtaking — and nerve-wracking. There's no retake if you miss the moment. Animal behavior is unpredictable, so you work fast, stay calm, and trust your instincts.

Interviews and Emotion

Every few days, we escort contestants to a luxury lodge off-site for interviews. It's a stark contrast to the heat and chaos of camp — air-conditioning, soft lighting, and quiet.

These interviews are where the show's emotional core takes shape. Contestants talk openly about their fears, their breakthroughs, and what life in the jungle is teaching them. I frame the shots carefully, soft backlight behind them, the bush visible just beyond the windows. Juan captures crystal-clear audio while Thabiso swaps disks. These moments, intimate and raw, give the audience a glimpse behind the celebrity facade.

The Long Walk Home

By late afternoon, the light turns golden and soft — perfect for those final, cinematic shots. We film silhouettes, glowing treetops, or the slow drift of smoke from the campfire. The bush at dusk feels alive, buzzing with insects and echoes.

Then comes the long hike back. By this time, our shoulders ache from the gear, and our boots are thick with mud. The backpacks dig into our backs, but we press on, racing the fading light. When the first glimmer of base camp appears through the trees, the relief is palpable.

Back at base, we offload footage, label disks, and check everything twice before turning it in to post-production. Dinner is noisy, filled with laughter and the kind of gallows humor that comes only from people who've spent the day sweating and swearing together in the wilderness.

Reflections

Working on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here: Australia isn't glamorous — it's hard, dirty, and physically demanding. But it's also one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had. Every day brings something new: a sunrise breaking through the trees, a snake crossing the path, a celebrity's honest confession.

The jungle doesn't bend to your plans; you learn to adapt, to move with it. And somewhere in that chaos is the beauty of the job — knowing that every frame you capture is real.

By the time I crawl into bed each night, my clothes smell like campfire and rain, my muscles ache, and my camera is caked with dust. But I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Tomorrow, before dawn, I'll lace up my boots, check my batteries, confirm the fire escape route, and step back into the bush — ready to film whatever unfolds next. Because in this job, you don't just document adventure. You live it.