Dean McCullough’s mother Ann has vowed to confront ‘angry’ Ant McPartlin after he was ‘too harsh’ to the I’m A Celeb star.
Ant has been particularly vocal with the Radio 1 DJ, 32, after his efforts in the trials, even admitting he was ‘unprofessional’ after he lost his temper with Dean at one point.
As she touched down at Brisbane Airport wearing a T-shirt with Dean’s photograph on it, Ann, 55, issued a stark warning to the Geordie host.
She said: ‘I think Ant’s been a wee bit hard on him. I’m going to have to have a word with Ant about that later.’
It comes after Ant, 49, told I’m A Celeb audiences that he was getting ‘frustrated’ with Dean’s lack of ability in the Bushtucker Trials and pleaded with fans to stop voting him in.
Ann admitted how ‘awful’ it has been watching Dean, who she said has had ‘such a hard few years’.
Dean McCullough’s mother Ann, 55, (pictured) has vowed to confront ‘angry’ Ant McPartlin after he was ‘too harsh’ to the I’m A Celeb star
Ant, 49, has been particularly vocal with the Radio 1 DJ after his efforts in the trials, even admitting he was ‘unprofessional’ after he lost his temper with Dean at one point
It comes after Ant told I’m A Celeb audiences that he was getting ‘frustrated’ with Dean’s, 32, lack of ability in the Bushtucker Trials and pleaded with fans to stop voting him in
She said: ‘It’s hard to watch him do the Trials. I had him warned though, there’s nothing in that Jungle that’s going to kill you, do it, just get over yourself do it.
‘The moments he shouted I’m A Celebrity were the ones I was hiding behind a cushion. Me and the two dogs begging, “Don’t say the words, please don’t say the words”.’
Wading in on Dean’s spat with Coronation Street’s Alan Halsall, in which they fell out over camp chores, Ann said: ‘That was hard to watch.
‘But Alan didn’t really give him much time to wake up, did he? He just didn’t give him enough time, another couple of seconds and he would have been grand.’
The BBC Radio 1 presenter has been accused by fans of having a ‘game plan’ after he latched on to Wagatha Christie’s Coleen Rooney to ‘get more airtime’.
But Ann insisted: ‘He’s just such a team player, he loves everybody but he is very starstruck, especially with Coleen and they’re getting on so well.
‘And I think he’s been chosen to do the trials because he’s good to look at, he’s good fun and he’s enjoying every single minute of it.’
Ann also revealed: ‘Dean loves his appearance and he loves to look after his fake teeth. I hope they’re designed to chew down on cockroaches and bugs.’
As she touched down at Brisbane Airport wearing a T-shirt with Dean’s photograph on it, Ann issued a stark warning to the Geordie host
Ann admitted how ‘awful’ it has been watching Dean, who she said has had ‘such a hard few years’
She said: ‘It’s hard to watch him do the Trials. I had him warned though, there’s nothing in that Jungle that’s going to kill you, do it, just get over yourself do it
‘The moments he shouted I’m A Celebrity were the ones I was hiding behind a cushion. Me and the two dogs begging, “Don’t say the words, please don’t say the words”
When the BBC Radio 1 presenter found out he might be heading into the Jungle in the summer, Ann was looking after his dog Freddie and she was the only person Dean confided in about it.
Speaking to MailOnline, Dean said: ‘I manifested morning, noon, and night. It was all I could think of because I wasn’t allowed to tell anybody.
‘So it wasn’t like, it was like a team effort, like a team manifestation. I was doing it all on my own. I had the crystals out, I was lighting candles.
‘Mum was lighting candles. She was never out of the chapel. She must have lit up about, she has single-handedly kept all the chapels in Northern Ireland afloat.’
Dean has taken part in most of the Bushtucker Trials this series due to his tendency to scream and call I’m A Celebrity, encouraging viewers to vote him in for more.
But the tide has turned as viewers have lost interest in seeing him suffer as NDubz’s Tulisa Contostavlos will face her first trial tonight.
It comes after the show’s longtime host, Ant admitted to growing progressively more ‘frustrated’ with Dean’s lack of ability in the trials.
On Sunday, after it was revealed the public had chosen Dean to complete the trial yet again, the Geordie duo begged viewers to stop voting for him.
Wading in on Dean’s spat with Coronation Street’s Alan Halsall, in which they fell out over camp chores, Ann said: ‘That was hard to watch
‘But Alan didn’t really give him much time to wake up, did he? He just didn’t give him enough time, another couple of seconds and he would have been grand’
‘But Alan didn’t really give him much time to wake up, did he? He just didn’t give him enough time, another couple of seconds and he would have been grand’
But Ann insisted: ‘He’s just such a team player, he loves everybody but he is very starstruck, especially with Coleen and they’re getting on so well’
‘And I think he’s been chosen to do the trials because he’s good to look at, he’s good fun and he’s enjoying every single minute of it’
Ann also revealed: ‘Dean loves his appearance and he loves to look after his fake teeth. I hope they’re designed to chew down on cockroaches and bugs’
Appeared on I’m A Celebrity Unpacked, they made a desperate plea and urged viewers to start voting for other celebrities, fuming ‘We aren’t getting to know the others!’
Ant said: ‘Right, let’s all [viewers] have a serious talk, I’m going to look directly down the camera here. I think it’s good to see other faces down there.’
He insisted: ‘This is not a personal thing. It’s not about Dean, it’s about us just seeing different people down there and I think we’d want to see different people down there being featured.
‘Some people, unfortunately, aren’t getting [airtime]. I’d like to see Barry [McGuigan] do a trial, I’d like to see Melvin [Odoom] down there, Oti [Mabuse]!
‘This happens every year when someone gets voted multiple times, you just get to a point where you go “Who’s still voting for Dean?” I don’t get it.’
I’M A CELEBRITY 2024: MEET THE ALL STAR LINE UP
OTI MABUSE
Oti Mabuse has already two Strictly glitterballs under her belt
AGE: 34
OCCUPATION: Professional dancer
FAMOUS FOR: Oti is best known for being a professional dancer on the British television series Strictly Come Dancing, which she won in 2019 and 2020.
DANNY JONES
Danny Jones is one of the bookies’ favourites to win this year’s I’m A Celeb
AGE: 38
OCCUPATION: McFly singer
FAMOUS FOR: Danny is one of the lead vocalists and the lead guitarist for pop-rock band McFly.
He is also a coach on The Voice UK.
BARRY MCGUIGAN
Former boxer Barry McGuigan is heading into the jungle
AGE: 63
OCCUPATION: Retired professional boxer
FAMOUS FOR: Barry was nicknamed The Clones Cyclone and held the WBA and lineal featherweight titles from 1985 to 1986.
GK BARRY
GK Barry is a TikTok star who recently joined the ITV family on Loose Women
AGE: 25
OCCUPATION: TikTok star
FAMOUS FOR: Grace is known for her comedic commentary on culture, lifestyle, and fashion. She has over 3.6 million followers and recently joined the Loose Women panel.
DEAN MCCULLOUGH
ITV bosses are hoping Dean McCullough will ruffle feathers in the camp
AGE: 32
OCCUPATION: Radio 1 DJ
FAMOUS FOR: Radio 1 DJ Dean has been signed by I’m A Celeb bosses, in the hope that he will ruffle feathers with his outspoken views.
Earlier this year it was announced Dean would be taking over the BBC Radio 1 Early Breakfast Show, after previously fronting the afternoon slot.
JANE MOORE
Jane is best known as a panellist and anchor of Loose Women
AGE: 62
OCCUPATION: Journalist
FAMOUS FOR: Jane is best known as a panellist and anchor of Loose Women between 1999 and 2002.
She returned as a regular panellist from 2013 onwards.
Jane takes on the challenge following her high-profile split from husband of 20 years, Showbiz agent, Gary Farrow.
MELVIN ODOOM
Melvin was previously courted by I’m A Celeb bosses back in 2021
AGE: 44
OCCUPATION: DJ and TV presenter
FAMOUS FOR: His work on radio. Melvin was previously courted by I’m A Celeb bosses back in 2021, but turned down the offer at the last minute.
He also had a primetime stint on Strictly back in 2016.
COLEEN ROONEY
Reports claim that she has been offered the biggest deal in the show’s history
AGE: 38
OCCUPATION: WAG
FAMOUS FOR: Wagatha Christie case against arch rival Rebekah Vardy.
Reports claim that she has been offered the biggest deal in the show’s history, exceeding Nigel Farage’s £1.5million from last year.
ALAN HALSALL
Alan Halsall is best known for his role as Tyrone Dobbs on Coronation Street
AGE: 42
OCCUPATION: Actor
FAMOUS FOR: Coronation Street actor Alan Halsall was forced to withdraw from I’m A Celeb last year, after undergoing ACL Reconstruction surgery.
Bosses have now convinced the actor to sign up again, and no doubt he will draw in a huge fanbase thanks to his long-running role as Tyrone Dobbs on the soap.
TULISA
Tulisa is making her career comeback after reuniting with N-Dubz last year
AGE: 36
OCCUPATION: Singer and former X Factor judge
FAMOUS FOR: Tulisa reunited with N-Dubz last year for a tour after first finding fame with the band in 2007.
In 2011, she became a judge on The X Factor and went on to launch her debut solo album, The Female Boss.
She released her fourth album with N-Dubz last year.
REVEREND RICHARD COLES
Richard is an English writer, radio presenter and Church of England priest
AGE: 62
OCCUPATION: Writer, broadcaster and priest
FAMOUS FOR: Richard is an English writer, radio presenter and Church of England priest.
He first came to prominence as the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the 1980s band the Communards.
MAURA HIGGINS
Maura is best known for her stint on Love Island UK in 2019
AGE: 33
OCCUPATION: TV Personality
FAMOUS FOR: Maura is an Irish television personality, television presenter and model.
She rose to prominence in 2019, when she was a finalist on the fifth series of ITV2 reality series Love Island.