ITV I'm A Celebrity's Dean McCullough given new nickname as he's slammed by campmates

The campmates on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! were left frustrated after Dean McCullough seemingly opted for an easy way out of a chore, leaving Melvin Odoom to pick up the slack. Thursday night's episode showed the celebs undertaking tough tasks, with one particular moment capturing Melvin getting ready to fetch water for the camp in the morning.

Radio personality Dean chose this time to have a shower instead of helping his mate. Dean remarked to Melvin: "I'm gonna have a scrub and then I'll do a couple, mate."

When the rest of the camp noticed Melvin on his fourth bucket run alone, comments flew. McFly's Danny Jones humorously enquired: "Is Houdini with him? " shortly before Jane Moore pointed out that Dean was actually taking a shower, reports the Mirror.

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Melvin quipped about Dean's disappearance act saying: "Houdini does another trick again! " As he continued his labour with the water buckets, Loose Women star Jane cheered him on: "Come on Melvin, you've got to leave some for Dean to do! " while boxing legend Barry McGuigan cynically said: "Don't hold your breath! ".

The viewers were equally exasperated with Dean's behaviour and quickly voiced their displeasure on social media. A viewer exclaimed on X: "Nahhh. Why is Dean prioritising a shower over doing his camp chore with Melvin? " and someone else declared: "Another day, me and Dean would have to fight, not helping out."

Meanwhile, Dean is topping the leader board with the most trials in the new series so far, having completed six and his seventh challenge due to be aired on Thursday night's show. Even host Ant McPartlin appealed to the viewers last week to give Dean a break from the relentless voting.

Beginning his adventure in the Australian bush, Dean was seen struggling with the tasks, even opting out several times and leaving his fellow campmates short on food after failing to secure enough stars for the group. But in recent trials, he's turned things around, collecting more stars and maintaining composure amidst the insects and critters.

During this week's Fright Bus trial, Dean remained noticeably cool and collected, sparking speculation among viewers that he's exaggerating his reactions for the camera to gain extra television time. With his decreased exposure, social media users have suggested his behaviour is a ploy for more airtime and to be selected for further trials.

One viewer commented on X, previously known as Twitter: "Maybe Dean is being like that bc he wants to be voted for trials again since his airtime has decreased."

Another jibed: "Because he's not doing the trials lately, Dean is kicking off to get the attention back on him...and maybe another trial."

A third pointed out: "Dean is craving attention now he's not being voted for trials."