Last night's first show of the series peaked with 10m viewers and a 39% audience share at 10pm, with the hour-and-a-half programme averaging 9m viewers and a 35% share.
The first week of the last series, which was shown earlier this year, pulled in a similar audience of between 10m and 12m.
ITV2 did well also with its extended coverage of this latest series, called 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here Now!', last night peaking with a 9.4% share and 1.2m viewers at 10.30pm.
According to an ITV spokeswoman: "This performance was almost four times higher than the average programme in this slot on ITV2."
Last night's show saw the contestants' nerves already beginning to fray, with one star threatening to quit and others already starting to squabble.
Former All Saint Natalie Appleton, the favourite going into the competition, was seen repeatedly breaking down in tears and saying she was on the verge of quitting.
Worse was to follow for Appleton when during the show she became the first celebrity to be selected by viewers to take part in a jungle challenge, which will be shown on tonight's show.
Elsewhere in the camp, Janet Street-Porter has already rubbed her fellow contestants up the wrong way, with former Royal butler Paul Burrell and ex-East 17 frontman Brian Harvey clashing with the Independent on Sunday's editor at large.
Street-Porter accused Burrell of being brainwashed during his time as butler to Princess Diana and sniped at Harvey for smoking.
Teary Appleton was also under fire from mouthy Street-Porter, who ranted at the singer for waking everyone after she was scared by a spider.
Meanwhile, Joe Pasquale is now outright favourite to win the competition with both Ladbrokes and William Hill.
Ladbrokes previously put Pasquale and Appleton as joint favourites, but have slashed her chances of winning from 4/1 ro 8/1 following her outbursts. William Hill are now offering 10/1 on Appleton winning.
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