I’m A Celebrity: Who is Dean McCullough?

If you’re still not sure who Dean McCullough is, here’s everything you need to know about the presenter in one handy place.

Who is Dean McCullough?

Dean is a radio presenter. He presented a breakfast show on Gaydio — a Manchester-based, national LGBTQ+ station— before moving on to Radio 1, where he now hosts an afternoon show alongside Vicky Hawkesworth.

How old is Dean McCullough?

Dean McCullough was born on 9 July 1992, making him 32 years old and a Cancer.

Where is Dean McCullough from?

Dean was born in Newtownabbey, County Antrim in Northern Ireland.

Is Dean McCullough leaving Radio 1?

Dean won’t be leaving the BBC for good, but he will be taking a break from Radio 1 as he heads into the I’m a Celeb jungle.

Although Dean has never been a Big Brother housemate— and based on his I’m a Celeb behaviour so far, he’d make a very good one—he has appeared regularly on the companion show, Big Brother: Late & Live.

Was Dean McCullough on Britain’s Got Talent?

Before he found fame on the airwaves, Dean appeared on Britain’s Got Talent alongside his dance troupe, The Glambassadors. The group danced to Alesha Dixon's The Boy Does Nothing, a performance that David Walliams deemed, ‘camper than Christmas.’ The group made it all the way to the semi-final, just missing out on the final show.

What joke did Dean McCullough make to Coleen Rooney?

After meeting his fellow I’m a Celeb contestants, Dean made a joke that viewers at home might consider pretty brave. As the campmates were pairing off for their very first challenge, Dean grabbed WAG Coleen Rooney and said to his Radio 1 colleague, Melvin Odoom, ‘Melvin, I’m so so sorry! Wagatha Christie you’re coming with me!'

While many fans watching at home were waiting for a Rebekah Vardy joke, they didn’t expect to get one quite so soon. Coleen infamously faced off against fellow WAG Rebekah in what is now known as the Wagatha Christie trial, a court case which resulted in Coleen's favour, and left Rebekah having to pay £1.5 million towards Coleen's legal fees.

Is Dean McCullough sober?

Yes, the radio presenter has been sober for two years. He recently opened up about developing an alcohol problem during the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘It wasn’t until it got really bad that I realised. What was like a glass of wine in the evening after work turned into a bottle which turned into two bottles and then, some weekends, I was drinking like a bottle of vodka too.

‘It wasn’t until I was going to work on a Monday and I was looking at the bins and I was like, “I didn’t drink all that?”’

Now, the star hasn’t had a drink since 2022. ‘It has been the best two years of my life. My life has never been better.’

Was Dean McCullough homeless?

Although it’s hard to believe it now, the star revealed in The Big Issue that he was homeless after his parents split up. While he was never out on the streets, he was couch-surfing as the family didn’t have a home of their own. He said, ‘As soon as I sensed any kind of danger, I’d be straight out of [where I was staying]… for a long time I had no fixed address. I would go out on the Thursday and just stay out all weekend because I just didn’t want to go home.’

Who has Dean McCullough dated?

Dean, who is openly gay, has remained relatively tight-lipped about his relationship status in the past, so we'll have to wait and see if he opens up in the jungle about any past relationships.

Does Dean McCullough have Instagram?

He does, and you can follow him at @thedeanlife.

Sarah O'Byrne is a News and Entertainment writer on Grazia, specialising in reality TV and film, although she is well aware that she wouldn't last a single day in the I'm a Celeb jungle.