Dean McCullough passed on a sweet message to Coleen Rooney’s sons as he returned to normality after becoming the second star booted off I’m A Celebrity.
The Radio 1 DJ, 32, left the Jungle on Sunday night’s show and was greeted by the friends and family of his campmates at the £400-a-night JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort and Spa – where they are all staying until the show ends.
After an emotional reunion with Jane Moore – who was the first celebrity kicked off the show – Dean was quick to seek out Coleen’s sons Kit, seven, and Cass, six, who have flown out to Australia along with Coleen’s parents Colette and Tony McLoughlin.
Shaking their hands, Dean told them: ‘Your mum sends loads and loads of love to you both.’
During Sunday’s show viewers had seen Coleen break down in tears as she thought about her family after husband Wayne sent a letter into the camp.
During the tear-jerking episode WAG Coleen, 38, got a message from Wayne, and all four kids, Kai, Klay, Kit and Cass read out by Dean.
Dean McCullough passed on a sweet message to Coleen Rooney’s sons as he returned to normality after becoming the second star booted off I’m A Celebrity (pictured with Kit)
The Radio 1 DJ, 32, left the Jungle on Sunday night’s show and was greeted by the friends and family of his campmates at the £400-a-night JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort and Spa
During Sunday’s show viewers had seen Coleen break down in tears as she thought about her family after husband Wayne sent a letter into the camp
One of the children said: ‘One thing I’m not missing is you shouting at me to get up in the morning, we might need to work on that!’ adding ‘I’m so proud to call you my mum.’
Wayne then said: ‘Coleen, I have never missed you so much in my life.
‘You’re doing amazing and showing everyone your character of what a wonderful, humble woman you are. I’m so proud of you, and can’t wait to see you. I love you ten, Wayne.’
Later in the episode, viewers witnessed Dean left the I’m A Celebrity camp and be greeted on the famous bridge by his mother, Ann, 51.
After establishing himself in the first episode as a campmate who screamed during Trials, the Northern Irish presenter went on to be voted in for seven Bushtucker Trials.
‘The more you do it the more you get used it,’ he told hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. ‘I wanted to do my family proud and myself proud. I am a strong person, I’ve just never been in that situation before.’
On the experience as a whole, he added: ‘It’s absolutely nuts, I still can’t believe I’m here. I’m not disappointed to be going, I have early soaked up this whole experience, all the trials the things that I’ve faced, got stuck in at camp and I really enjoyed it.
‘When I woke up this morning, I thought if I go today I’ll be over the moon, I’ve lived the whole experience, I got to see the Jungle Junkyard.
‘It was nothing like I expected it to be not at all. You don’t see the way the camp has to keep moving, we’re so close, we sleep next to it.’
Dean was joined by his mother Ann, who was kitted out in a personalised T-shirt
The pair looked in high spirits as they sprinted into the hotel after leaving the Jungle
Dean enjoyed an emotional reunion with Jane Moore – who was the first celebrity kicked off I’m A Celebrity during Friday night’s show
Dean was quick to seek out Coleen’s sons Kit, seven, and Cass, six, who have flown out to Australia along with Coleen’s parents Colette and Tony McLoughlin.
The group had gathered in the lobby to welcome Dean after his Jungle stint
He added: ‘You won’t believe how bored we get in there. We played every game in there under the sun twice. You won’t believe how much I have learnt about myself in there.’
Dean also weighed in on claims that he had avoided his share of the chores in camp, notably water carrying – a role typically left to fellow DJ Melvin Odoom.
‘I pulled my weight,’ he insisted. ‘But the thing with me and Jane [Moore] was I was out doing the trials every day and we made a pact that I did what I could while I was there, so that was that.
‘Melvin didn’t speak to me about doing the water. I had done six trial back to back and he left me sleeping, I didn’t ask him to do that! He’s just a nice guy, but don’t come back and say I haven’t done anything.’
He added: ‘We’ve had a lol about it. We wind each other up in camp no end. I don’t mind breaking the rules a bit and jumping in and mucking in to do other people’s chores because you want to leave people sleeping or whatever.’
Dean’s two weeks living in the Australian jungle divided ITV viewers, with some finding humour in his inability to complete the various trials while others, including Ant McPartlin, 49, growing ‘frustrated’ with him.
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.
He made a desperate plea and urged viewers to start voting for other celebrities, fuming ‘we aren’t getting to know the others.’
‘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.’
BBC Radio 1’s Dean was the second contestant to be voted off this year’s I’m A Celebrity
The Northern Irish presenter, 32, was greeted on the bridge by his mother, Ann
After establishing himself in the first episode as a campmate who screamed during Trials, Dean went on to be voted in for seven Bushtucker Trials
‘The more you do it the more you get used it, he told hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly . ‘I wanted to do my family proud and myself proud. I am a strong person, I’ve just never been in that situation before’
Dean (pictured with his mother) also weighed in on claims that he had avoided his share of the chores in camp, notably water carrying – a role typically left to fellow DJ Melvin Odoom
It comes as the Mail on Sunday revealed the DJ faced allegations of ‘bullying’ from production staff on his afternoon Radio 1 show earlier this year – before being shifted to a graveyard 5am slot
He has appeared on the BBC network since 2021 and was hosting daily from 1pm until 3.30pm until the middle of February this year – when production crew complained about working with him
It comes as the Mail on Sunday revealed the DJ faced allegations of ‘bullying’ from production staff on his afternoon Radio 1 show earlier this year – before being shifted to a graveyard 5am slot.
Dean’s new gig, The Early Breakfast Show, where he remains from Monday to Thursday each week is broadcast from Manchester – where he has been based for several years rather than the station’s London headquarters – while his previous show was taken over by The Saturdays singer Mollie King and co-host Matt Edmondson.
A Radio 1 source said: ‘Quite a few people who worked with Dean were really unhappy – and some of them made it very clear with bosses.
‘They accused him of being a bully to staff, and they just didn’t want to keep working with him any longer.
‘To be honest by the end it was just chaos – there were cover presenters drafted in and producers moved around to try to keep things on track but it became untenable.’