ITV I'm A Celebrity's Ant and Dec speak out after panicked star 'halts' show

Ant and Dec have admitted they were left 'conflicted' after the trial that aired on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here was abandoned in a matter of seconds, as star Dean McCullough brought things to an abrupt end.

Just as they have been for the last 22 years, the Geordie duo are back at the helm of the ITV show, with its new series kicking off in Australia at the weekend as millions tuned into watch. The I'm A Celebrity 2024 line-up features stars like Coleen Rooney, Alan Halsall, GK Barry, Tulisa and Dean McCullough and it was BBC Radio 1 DJ Dean who viewers put in the firing line for the latest challenge, The Sinister Sarcophagus.

Dean looked panicked from the get-go, as soon as Ant and Dec walked into camp to reveal it was him who'd topped the public vote and he hadn't calmed down much by the time he joined them to actually do the trial. The torment for Dean started as soon as he got into the chamber, with sand reaching his legs and he was joined by giant mealworms and crickets tipped into his head compartment. After answering two correct questions and successfully releasing the stars, it all got too much for Dean and he shouts the notorious line: 'I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!' to end the trial right there.

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After getting out of the box to safety, Dean told Ant and Dec he didn't like 'not being able to move his legs' as he then had to go back to camp to break news to his co-stars that he'd only won two stars.

Ant and Dec were asked for their take during an appearance on I'm A Celebrity's spin-off show Unpacked, with Dec replying: "obviously it's disappointing, because you want to see the whole thing, so when it unfolds that early you're kind of like 'urgh OK, we're not getting to get the full impact of this trial."

Taking over, Ant explained: "That's part of the reason why we continued asking the questions, as we were like 'We're really enjoying this,'" before Dec added: "But on the other side of that coin, we all go 'Bit of an early finish!"