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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

ITV I'm A Celebrity's Ant and Dec issue Charlene 'rule break' clarification as Loose Women's Denise Welch defends co-star

Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly have tried to put one major I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here issue to bed - quite literally - as viewers' outrage continues. Charlene White Has been branded 'selfish' by viewers of the ITV reality show as she refuses to sleep in the camp's RV.

It all started after she was chosen as the camp's deputy leader by Matt Hancock who, after getting the most public votes alongside Mike Tindall for the role, won the chance to be the camp's first leader in this series. And as part of their jungle powers, Matt and Charlene are allowed to have a little bit of luxury in the form of sleeping under shelter and in a comfy bed as opposed to hammocks.

Last week, during their first evening as camp leader and deputy leader, Charlene was left far from impressed to discover a spider also making the RV home, and even spotted a creepy crawly in her bed. "I can’t do this tonight," she cried. Then s peaking in the Bush Telegraph, Charlene went on: "My bravery levels are done for today. I really don't want to have to sleep in the RV."

READ MORE: ITV I'm A Celebrity host Ant McPartlin hits out at fan over show he'd 'never do' as Dec Donnelly drops BBC Strictly Come Dancing hint

However, days have passed and Charlene is still refusing to sleep in the RV alongside Matt - in separate beds - and it's really riling I'm A Celeb viewers up. And it's also now starting to cause friction in camp as Owen Warner gave up his flatbed in order for Seann Walsh to get a decent kip after suffering backache from sleeping in a hammock.

Following Wednesday night's show, Ant and Dec headed live on their Instagram page for their daily debrief on the latest action from the ITV reality show. And they didn't hold back when it came to the Charlene RV drama. Dec said: "Do you get it? I don’t get it," as Ant replied: "Why would you not want to sleep in there? It can't just be because of the spiders."

He then asked: "Does she not want to sleep with Matt?" Dec suggested that could be the reason and fans were quick to reply in the comment agreeing that was why. But Ant insisted: "I think it might be that but you’ve got to think of others and if other people have to then sleep in a hammock because of your actions and have a bad back, then you’ve got to look at your actions."

Ant and Dec had their say (Ant and Dec Instagram)

Dec replied: "I’m not sure it’s really playing as a team member by doing that. By taking up a bed." Dec read a message which he then asked his co-star: "Is she not breaking the rules as a deputy camp leader by not going in the RV?" Ant replied: "I think maybe she is and I’m going to speak to the producers about it."

And it looks like he may have done just that. Following more complaints during Thursday night's edition of the ITV reality show, the Geordie duo responded to a message which read: "In the past campmates have been penalised if they didn’t obey the rules, so why has Charlene been allowed to not stay in the RV?!"

But the hosts replied: "The rules said that only the leader and deputy are allowed to stay in the RV, it didn’t state they HAD to… #ImACeleb." Meanwhile, Charlene's Loose Women co-star Denise Welch has been wading in on the row to defend the star after fans worked out the 'real reason' she didn't want to stay in the RV is because she'd have to with former health secretary Matt.

Responding to a negative tweet about her fellow ITV star, Denise wrote: "Why should she share a room with Matt Hancock. Her aunt died without her whilst he broke his own rules!! You’re utterly pathetic!!!"

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