ITV I'm A Celebrity fans convinced Ant McPartlin 'hates' one of the campmates

Viewers of I'm A Celebrity are having a little fun suggesting that host Ant McPartlin isn't exactly the biggest fan of one particular campmate. In Sunday's instalment, Ant, aged 49, alongside fellow presenter Dec Donnelly, also 49, encountered camp resident Dean McCullough, 32, at a bushtucker trial for the fifth time in the latest series shown on ITV.

BBC Radio 1's Dean quipped about his frequent trials during his entrance into the trial space with Coleen Rooney, accompanying him on the challenge. Greeting the presenters, he joked: "We need to stop meeting like this."

This garnered a chortle from Dec, while Ant managed just barely more than a grin. Adding to the banter, Dean teased: "I told ya I didn't want another date.", reports the Mirror.

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A momentary chuckle emanated from Ant before his face resettled into its default expression, prompting Dec to interject with: "Our fifth date now at the bushtucker trial clearing."

Post-trial and amidst the episode, viewers were quick to air their opinions on X (previously known as Twitter). Some voiced playful jibes hinting that Ant might harbour some aversion towards Dean, with one individual stating: "Ant literally looks like he hates Dean."

Another added fuel to the fire, remarking: "Ant hates Dean so much omg. His face says it all."

A third implied: "Ant can't stand Dean you can tell." while yet another viewer weighed in on Sunday evening: "You can tell straight away Ant doesn't like Dean at all."

Another viewer shared their observation, commenting: "Ant's expression when looking at Dean is 'barely concealed disdain'." A fan added with a chuckle, posting: "He f***ing loathes him."

Someone else chimed in with a tease: "Ant's face when Dean said I told you I didn't want [another date]." Meanwhile, another person remarked: "Ant going over and above to try and be nice to Dean because we've caught on that he doesn't like him is TV GOLD."

Post-episode, Ant made a plea for viewers to give other celebs a turn, as Dean has been a frequent face in the trials, often struggling to secure stars. It was revealed on Sunday night that Dean, who bagged nine stars alongside Coleen, is set for the next challenge too.

On the spin-off show I'm A Celebrity... Unpacked, host Joel Dommett questioned Ant about Dean facing another trial. Ant addressed the audience with a candid appeal: "Right. Let's all have a serious talk. I'm going to look directly into the camera here. I think it's good to see other faces down there."

Ant remarked: "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 want to see different people on the show being featured. Some people unfortunately aren't getting [screen time]."

He then mentioned Barry McGuigan, Melvin Odoom and Oti Mabuse as campmates he'd like to see in future trials.

Following an incident earlier in the week where it seemed Ant showed frustration during a trial that Dean exited after securing four stars, Ant addressed the issue on Unpacked, admitting: "My annoyance came across onscreen. I was unprofessional. I'm not happy about it."

These acknowledgements come amidst fan speculation on social media concerning Ant's evident irritation with Dean during the trial.