I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! viewers were left cringing after one 2024 star decided to reignite a feud long after his elimination.
Dean McCullough was one of this year’s most divisive campmates. While he brought the entertainment by taking on plenty of Bushtucker Trials, the radio DJ also had a fair few clashes with fellow stars.
Enter Melvin Odoom, another BBC Radio 1 star who had a run-in with Dean when they were both assigned the chore of collecting water.
Dean, 32, was jokingly branded ‘Houdeani’ by Melvin, 44, in a nod to how he always seemed to vanish when jobs needed doing.
However, this didn’t seem to go down well with Dean upon his jungle exit, resulting in his reunion with Melvin in the Coming Out show being somewhat of a frosty one.
After freshening up and raiding the hotel minibar, Melvin caught up with Dean and straight away started joking about how minor moments in camp were blown out of proportion online by viewers.
‘I love how the whole Houdeani thing popped off, like, the memes were brilliant,’ Dean said.
Melvin added: ‘I don’t think people realise why that happened. I was busy doing the water and I just wanted you to help.
‘I was thinking, I’m just gonna drop this line, with half the camp there, make everyone laugh…’
Dean then seemed to change his tune: ‘That upset me.’
‘If I’m trying to give someone a message, I always use humour,’ Melvin responded calmly. ‘That’s my number one way of communicating with people, that’s essentially my weapon, and that’s all that was.’
Firing back, Dean said: ‘I saw Bush Telegraphs of you saying, “Oh, it’s another chore to ask Dean to do the chores.” And I was like, my guy’s not coming and talking to me?’
Melvin assured Dean that there wasn’t any malice intended in the Houdeani nickname, as it was simply his way of communicating that he needed help.
‘But just take me to the side?’, Dean suggested.
‘It’s a minor [thing], don’t worry about it, Dean,’ Melvin replied. ‘It’s nothing!’
‘Tell that to the papers,’ Dean said sarcastically.
It’s safe to say the exchange made viewers at home uncomfortable, many of whom were left scratching their heads over why Dean chose to reopen old wounds.
Lvgrn_ wrote on X: Can’t think Dean has done himself any favours there. if he’d apologised for doing nothing and had a laugh about the Houdini nickname he might’ve come off better.. instead he’s obsessing over the press’.
‘Dean should be apologising to Melvin for skiving off the chores instead of trying to make out Melvin was in the wrong for calling him Houdini. Grow up Dean’, wrote Jakki_113.
Meanwhile, jodielliman suggested that Dean is ‘bitter’, insisting that Melvin’s comment was ‘clearly a joke’.
‘Deans done himself a bit of a disservice here. I think a publicity person should have taken him to the side after the jungle and told him to just take accountability. That’s the second time he’s started unnecessary beef because he can’t handle valid criticism’, wrote RebeccaMcP2, seemingly referencing Dean’s argument with Alan Halsall, again, over camp chores.
Beef between Dean and Melvin aside, there’s been overwhelming praise for this year’s line-up, with viewers hailing it as one of the best in I’m A Celeb’s 22-year run.
But there could only be one winner, with McFly’s Danny Jones crowned King of the Jungle, while Coleen Rooney was runner-up.
Reverend Richard Coles came in third, while Oti Mabuse narrowly missed out on the final in fourth place.
Catch up with I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! on ITVX.
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