There’s apparently a lot to be said for Netflix’s much-hyped and brilliantly-titled new competition series Celebrity Bear Hunt, which premiered on Wednesday morning.

Following in the footsteps of previous reality shows like I’m A Celebrity, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and Celebrity Island, this new TV offering puts a particularly star-studded cast through their paces in the wilderness, with survivalist expert Bear Grylls hot on their heels to challenge them at every turn.

What really sets this show apart is its cast, which includes impressive names like tennis pro Boris Becker, Spice Girls star Mel B and Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas, while Holly Willoughby is on presenting duties in her first ever collaboration with Netflix.

However, whether or not this cast is enough to make up for an otherwise fairly derivative format remains to be seen.

Early reviews for Celebrity Bear Hunt are absolutely all over the shop, with some criticising the flimsy format and lack of stakes, while others say it makes more compulsive and binge-able viewing (while others are saying that both factors are true, and that fans of low-demand reality telly will fly through the action).

Here’s a selection of what critics are saying about it so far…

The Times (2/5)

“This show is too much about Grylls and not enough about a compelling format. As much as there may be an audience for him stalking around in camouflage face paint offering pearls of wisdom from behind large shrubs (‘When you get complacent, you’re in trouble’), it’s not enough to hold this show together.”

The Independent (2/5) 

“Celebrity Bear Hunt is kitsch without being camp, and overcooked where it ought to be raw. The casting team should be applauded for putting together a set of celebrities who actually justify the term, but perhaps a surfeit of riders and allowances have blunted Bear’s teeth.”

Yahoo!

“I will accept that it wouldn’t be much of a game of hide and seek if Grylls caught the celebrities the first chance he gets. However, I would argue that it’s not much of a game of hide and seek anyway. The amazing thing is that this does not matter at all. It’s still great fun to watch and you do find yourself getting swept along by the poor man’s Hunger Games naffness of it all.”

The Telegraph (1/5)

“[Celebrity Bear Hunt] is a lukewarm rehash of several other TV shows – mainly I’m a Celebrity – in which half-familiar celebs wash dishes in a jungle before taking part in a series of corporate away-day team-building exercises. It’s as high-octane as doing your tax return (with none of the tension).”

iNews (2/5) 

“The stakes on Celebrity Bear Hunt are sure to rise – a sneak peek at upcoming episodes promise Grylls’s classic pee-drinking exercise and one celeb nearly drowning and needing emergency medical care. But the start is as rough as the terrain they’re in. Grylls needs to up the ante fast, or this survival show is dead in the water.”

The Standard (1.5/5)

“It’s a huge amount of fun – to watch from the comfort of your own sofa, that is.”

The Guardian (4/5) 

“Not since Ant and Dec’s early days in Australia has a TV competition been this enjoyable. The likes of Mel B, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Boris Becker are excellent value – and hugely funny.”

Esquire

“Is Celebrity Bear Hunt a good show? Categorically it is not. The format is over-complicated and confusing, the suspense half-baked [...] But does that mean I won’t be watching the remaining episodes? Gracious no!”

All eight episodes of Celebrity Bear Hunt are now streaming on Netflix.