I'm A Celebrity's Melvin Odoom, 44, practices asking out his crush ...

I'm A Celebrity's Melvin Odoom revealed his secret celebrity crush on Wednesday's episode after he received a pillow with Carol Vorderman's face on it. 

The radio DJ, 44, confided in Tulisa he met the former Countdown host, 63, at the Pride Of Britain Awards earlier this year but was 'too shy to say hello that day'. 

Tulisa, 36, advised: 'Melvin, a strong woman like that is going to appreciate you going: "I just want to say I think you're a sensational woman and I'd love to take you out for a drink and get to know you if you'd be happy to oblige me.' 

The songstress then suggested they do role play, where she was Carol so Melvin could work on his confidence for the next time he sees the presenter. 

Creating a scenario, Melvin said: 'Hello Carol, great work on Pride of Britain. Are you free on Saturday?' 

But the camp told the DJ he is doing 'too much' and so he tried again: 'You look sensational today, you're actually glowing, has anyone ever said that?

'Listen, I've booked a restaurant for next week, it's gonna be Thai food all expenses paid, I'm gonna send the cab to your house for about 8pm, I'll see you there. 

Clearly impressed in her role as Carol, Tulisa jumped up and ran after him.

Speaking in the Bush Telegraph later, Melvin joked: 'She could be watching this right now and be thinking, "I need myself a jungle man".'

Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to comment on the entertaining scenes. 

They wrote: 'Cackling at Melvin and Tulisa roleplaying' and 'Carol Vorderman sat at home finding out she has a date she didn't know about in 3 weeks time.'

'Melvin's crush on Carol Vorderman is so real' and '@carolvorders slide into @melvinodoom dms I beg'. 

Melvin has always been private about his love life. In a recent interview, he said: 'Dating is hard. For me, don't shut yourself off from anything because your potential partner could be anywhere. You have to chill and go with the flow, you can't control love.' 

Carol, meanwhile, has been open about her five 'special friends' who she has relationships with - but 'doesn't do one night stands.'

The presenter previously said her lovers are all single.

She said: 'One's been a friend for 11 years, one for seven. My kids [Katie, 33, and Cameron, 27], know most of them.'

Carol admitted she relishes the independence and the freedom the setup gives her and says there is no problem with her partners wanting more intimacy than it offers, 'as long as you're all honest and have a good time'.

All involved are single – she works on the principle that you should 'do no harm' – and if one met somebody else, it'd be fine.

She continued: 'I'm not a jealous person and I'm happy when my friends are happy, whether they are "special friends" or not.

'The goal of my life is to be happy, not to be in love. I just find people interesting and life interesting.

'And you can get to a stage where you choose which bits you enjoy. You can't in your 30s because you're making your way in your career, you're beholden to bosses and all those sorts of things. But in your 60s…'

Carol has been single since she split from journalist Des Kelly in 2007, after being married twice, first to Christopher Mather from 1985 to 1986 and then to second husband Patrick King from 1990 until 2000 - the father of her two children.

I'm A Celebrity continues on Thursday at 9pm on ITVX and ITV.