I’m A Celebrity co-host Ant McPartlin appeared a little rankled last night as a technical error in the ITV studio meant that Melvin Odoom couldn’t hear the voice note Carol Vorderman had sent in.

Melvin has made no bones of his admiration for the Welsh broadcaster during his time in the jungle.

Meanwhile, Carol has been egging him on from afar, with Instagram posts in which she calls him her Jungle Man and tells him what she’s been eating for her dinner.

Melvin was the fourth star to be voted out of the jungle last night (December 30, with many fans taking to social media to express their disappointment – and appreciation for the DJ.

Melvin was the latest I’m A Celebrity contestant to be voted out of the jungle (Credit: ITVX)

I’m A Celebrity host Ant ‘not as nice as always’

Disaster struck as Ant and Dec attempted to play Melvin a message from his beloved Carol. In it, she explained she was “blushing” after hearing him declare his love for her. She also said she would see him in her DMs…

However, while Ant and Dec could hear the message in their earpieces, and the message played over people’s television sets, it didn’t play over the studio’s loudspeakers, meaning Melvin was left in the dark.

As it played, and Ant figured out what was going on, he explained: “We can’t hear it on the floor. We can’t hear it.”

Looking frustrated, he continued: “We can’t hear it down here, I’m afraid, we’ve got it in our ear but you can’t hear it.”

Dec added: “Basically, she’s blushing. We’ll catch up with a bit more of that.”

Melvin appeared wide-eyed and bushy-tailed upon hearing the news that Carol had sent in a voice note. “Seriously?” he said, with a big grin.

Carol’s voice note failed to play out over the studio loudspeakers (Credit: ITVX)
Ant ‘not as cheery as always’

However, Ant’s explanation of the situation to Melvin meant that viewers at home found it hard to catch the message.

“I don’t know if I’ve just never seen it before,” one viewer wrote on the social media platform X. “But this year I’m seeing a different side to Ant. A person that’s slightly confrontational, slightly aggy, just not as nice and cheery as always. Is it just me?”

Apparently not.

Ant really is sassy this season.

“We could have heard Carol Vorderman, Ant, if you’d shut up saying you can’t hear it,” said another.

“Ant,” another wrote on X. “We wanted to hear Carol’s message.”

“Because of Ant we couldn’t hear Carol Vorderman either,” said another. “Jeez, calm down Ant,” said another, using the hashtag “#divastrop”.

“Ant really is sassy this season,” said another. 

Melvin’s love for Carol

So could Melvin and Carol actually be a thing post-jungle?

Well… In Carol Vorderman’s latest Instagram Story, she shared a reel in which Tulisa says Melvin has “got a chance” with her, appearing to tease the possibility that he does, indeed, have a chance.

“I’m telling you now, it’s gonna happen,” Tulisa says in the clip. “I can feel it in my bones.”

“I think she is single you know,” Melvin chimes in. “Where do you take Carol Vorderman for dinner?”

Time to get your thinking cap on, Melvin!