BBC Radio 1 ’s Dean McCullough has swapped the radio for TV as he is one of the celebrities competing in the I’m A Celebrity jungle. As a relatively low-profile celebrity, some fans of the show may have some questions: how exactly did McCullough become famous, where is he from, and what were some of his final words before entering the jungle? Here’s what we know. Dean McCullough was born in Newtownabbey, in the south-east of County Antrim, in Northern Ireland.
McCullough’s career in presenting started when he volunteered for Wandsworth Radio. This was followed by his first official presenting job, alongside Emma Goswell, on Gaydio. They discussed contemporary LGBTQ + topics on their show.
Goswell and McCullough went on to host the Gaydio breakfast show until 2021. McCullough got his big break when he covered Clara Amfo on BBC Radio 1 for two days in December 2020. In March 2021, he came back to present the Friday early breakfast show for five more weeks.
He started anchoring Radio 1 's late morning weekday in September 2021, taking over from Jordan North, later co-hosting the early afternoon slot with Vicky Hawkesworth, in place of Scott Mills and Chris Stark , in 2022. McCullough made his debut TV appearance in 2015 with Thomas King in Young Free and Single: Live, which aired on E4 for one series only. The 32-year-old has also made frequent appearances on Big Brother: Late & Live since 2023.
Speaking about his phobias, McCullough said: “I am terrified of everything.