ITV I'm A Celebrity's Ant McPartlin criticises Alan Halsall's 'passive aggressive' behaviour in camp

I'm A Celebrity host Ant McPartlin has slammed Alan Halsall's 'passive aggressive' behaviour following his tiff with Dean McCullough on the ITV reality show. BBC Radio 1's Dean got into a row with the Coronation Street actor on the show regarding Alan's method of waking him up, which was addressed by Ant during an Instagram Live session with Dec.

Dec sparked the discussion, asking: "Can we talk about the first little bit of tension in the camp," leading to Ant's reaction: "What would you have done, would you have kicked off? Alan was kind of OK about it, but he had a little bit of passive aggressiveness back as well, didn't he? " Ant continued regarding Dean's fiery response: "I wouldn't stand for any of that... I would be like 'shut-up'."

Dean, who had been sleeping, was nudged awake by camp leader Alan so that he could gather wood with Loose Women star Jane Moore. Upon Dean's sluggish response, Alan probed, "You don't fancy it? No? " and then assisted Jane due to camp rules forbidding her from managing the task alone.

Joining them later, Dean informed Alan he could "go back now" In the exchange that unfolded, Alan explained his gentle approach to waking Dean, who replied sharply: "Listen to me. If you're going to wake me up, you need to give me a minute, alright? " adding, "It takes me a couple of minutes for my contact lenses to get back working again, all right? " He also criticised Alan's comment, saying, "So you don't need to turn around to me and say: 'Do you not fancy it? ' OK? And then turn around and walk away."

Dean repeatedly urged Alan to "listen" to him, with Alan responding: "I didn't say it how you think I meant it, but if you took it that way, then I apologise.", reports the Mirror.

The actor clarified he wasn't trying to criticise the radio DJ, prompting Dean to express his understanding but also his feeling that he "didn't get a chance to respond". In the Bush Telegraph, Dean recounted, "I opened my eyes and wee Tyrone from Coronation Street is like: 'Come on, mate, you need to go down to the bottom of the creek.'" He continued, "He didn't even give me a chance to say yes or no because he went: 'You don't fancy it? No? ' and ran. He was being a real camp leader."

Dean added, "I was like: 'Whoa, whoa, whoa don't dig me out like that.' And I had to say to him: 'If you're going to say: 'Don't fancy it? ' - give me a chance'."

He explained, "Because, of course, I fancy it. I want to help Jane. I went straight down and helped her."

Later, viewers saw Dean apologising to Jane before they both carried wood for the campfire.

Alan reflected in his own Bush Telegraph moment, "It was a flippant comment, I'm sorry if you took it in the wrong way. Wasn't actually meant like that, it was just a bit of a joke."

He added, "If I was asleep and you woke me up, I won't fancy it either."