I’m A Celebrity star Dean McCullough has opened up about a personal chapter of his life – his experience with homelessness.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, December 18, the Northern Irish radio DJ revealed his childhood struggles with “hidden homelessness” and the lessons he learnt from those challenging times.
Dean McCullough opens up about ‘hidden homelessness’ on Good Morning Britain
In an interview with presenters Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway, Dean recalled how his family lost their home when he was young.
“From my own personal experience, we were homeless whenever I was younger,” Dean explained.
“My mum was forced out of the home, and I went with her. We shared a bedroom and we shared a sofa.”
From my own personal experience, we were homeless whenever I was younger.
Despite the hardships, Dean shared that at the time, he didn’t understand the gravity of the situation.
He said: “I was going to school, I was getting dressed up every day, I was fed well, and we were surprisingly quite happy and made the most of the situation. At the time, I wouldn’t have called that homeless.”
Dean revealed that his understanding of homelessness deepened when he began working with Centrepoint. Centrepoint is a charity dedicated to ending youth homelessness.
“They didn’t know about my homelessness story, and to be honest with you, I didn’t understand the experience I’d had until we started working together,” he admitted.
Dean also described his struggles in London as an adult, living a life without stability.
“For quite a lot of my time living in London, I was moving from house to house,” he shared. “Some of those houses that I lived in were quite volatile – you know housemates of mine were using drugs and alcohol and I got caught up in that world as well.
“I thought I was being a bit wild, a bit free, but actually, I didn’t have a fixed address. I didn’t have keys to anywhere…I didn’t realise that was homelessness.”
Dean admits he ‘used drink and drugs’ as he felt ‘lost’
The radio DJ revealed how he coped with his struggles. “I used drink and drugs, unfortunately, to feel some sort of connection,” he said. “I felt lost and very lonely.”
Now, as a youth prevention ambassador for Centrepoint, Dean is using his platform to shed light on homelessness.
The star appeared on GMB alongside Lord John Bird, co-founder of The Big Issue, to discuss the government’s recent £1billion funding to combat homelessness.
While he praised the financial commitment, he emphasised the need for early intervention.
“I hope it’s spent well, but I would really like the stigma of homelessness to be talked about,” Dean said.
He added that by the time people are on the streets, “we’ve already hit a crisis”.
“I think that we should be trying to prevent this far, far, far sooner, and I think that starts with the conversations that we’re having today,” he concluded.
‘I used drink and drugs to feel some sort of a connection’
Dean McCullough experienced what is often referred to as “hidden homelessness” during his youth. He shares what it was like to not have a fixed address as a teenager and the effect it had on his mental health. pic.twitter.com/xokmNi9rR5
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 18, 2024
Fans react to Dean’s story about homelessness
Dean’s candid interview struck a chord with many viewers.
One person wrote on social media: “So glad that guy Dean spoke about the ‘hidden’ homelessness of sofa surfing and temporary work contracts, there’s not enough known about it.”
“Homelessness was suspended during Covid,” another commented. “We know all Governments can end it if they wanted to.”
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