We expected nothing less than laughs and banter from DJ and radio presenter Melvin Odoom when he joined the line-up for last year’s series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. And while he wasn’t crowned King of the Jungle – McFly’s Danny Jones took that honour – Melv brought feel-good vibes throughout his stint in his trials and friendships with his campmates including former Strictly Come Dancing dancer Oti Mabuse, Corrie’s Alan Halsall and ex-boxing champ Barry McGuigan.
We catch up with Melvin, 44, to find out about post-IAC life and whether his crush Carol Vorderman has called him yet…
Was it a struggle adjusting back to reality after leaving the jungle?
No. I love routine. I need to be organised and know what’s going on. One of the hardest things for me was not having any recollection of time and no plan for the day. Being back at work, being able to go to the gym and eat whenever I want is a lot better for me. The jungle reminded me of how much I love and rely on people because on the days when I found it really tough, the thing that changed my whole perspective were people like Danny, Oti and Barry checking on me.
Was the experience everything you expected?
I didn’t think it was going to be as hard as it was. I thought, if we didn’t get stars and the crew felt sorry for us, we might get a little sandwich secretly off camera. But that didn’t happen! They wanted us to be completely immersed in the whole experience so we were taken to trial blindfolded or in a blacked-out van, the crew didn’t talk to us and wouldn’t tell us anything about the outside world. The weather was terrible. It rained constantly, which made it impossible to dry our clothes. I thought the trials were going to be the hardest thing and they are tough and scary, but as time went on, I thought, I have to get through this because I want to eat. Eating became more of a priority than anything else. At the same time, it was the best experience ever. It was quite special.
You weren’t blessed with the weather but you had great company…
And we could feel it when we were in there. We were really getting on and we felt we were so boring to the public because there was no beef or argument. If someone didn’t get any stars, not one person gave them a hard time. We were all so supportive. That was one of my favourite things about that whole experience. We’re all still in contact – Oti was at my house the other day with her husband [Marius Lepure] and her little one. I met GK Barry when I appeared on her podcast and I’m planning to meet Barry because I want to do some sparring and training with him. And we’ve got our joint WhatsApp group.
Is that WhatsApp group still going strong two months on?
Yes, definitely. There’s always someone sending a picture – the Rev Richard Coles is always sending something funny and Alan’s always at a football game doing something. So that’s how everyone stays in contact.
Are there plans for a reunion?
Yeah. Barry has offered to do something at his house.
Now, what’s going on with you and Carol?
You tell me! I messaged her when I got home and gave her my number, and she hasn't read it. I've got a feeling she thinks I was joking.
But you weren’t…
No, I think Carol is glorious. Carol’s been my crush for years, but I think I have to maybe come to terms with the fact that I’m not at the forefront of her mind. The fact that she acknowledged me was more than I could have ever hoped. I never thought I was going to be lucky enough to get a date with her.
Hopefully Carol will see this interview and get in touch...
Everyone is so invested. I’ll go to Tesco and someone will ask me if I’ve spoken to Carol yet. I think if we were to walk on the red carpet, hand in hand, we’d bring joy to the world. Fred Sirieix from First Dates even offered a table for our first date!
So are you looking for love or just for Carol?
I think I should start looking for love because maybe the Carol ship has sailed.
Now that you’ve done Strictly and I’m A Celeb, would you take on Love Island?
If I was young, hell yeah! But 44-year-old Melvin in the villa? No chance.