If you’ve been left screaming at the telly every night this week, then you must have been watching the public vote on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!
With the final looming on Sunday evening, this week has seen at least one celebrity kicked out of camp every evening.
While it’s the usual drill for the final week of the show, viewers watching at home – and even hosts Ant and Dec – have been left surprised over which celebrities were first to go.
It all started on Sunday when radio DJ Dean McCullough – arguably one of the biggest personalities – was booted out of camp, followed by Tulisa – one of the favourites to win the entire show.
Viewers were baffled, with many wondering how the N-Dubz singer could have secured the fewest votes.
“I’m genuinely shocked that Tulisa was voted out tonight,” one wrote.
While another said: “This is beyond fixed. Our tulisa is braver than the marines omg i am fuming at this!!!!!! She deserved the win out of everyone in there it’s cruel.”
Even Ant and Dec were shocked, with Ant admitting: “That was a real shock for me that was.”
The carnage continued when Melvin Odoom, Barry McGuigan and Maura Higgins – another favourite to win – were subsequently evicted.
“ARE YOU F**KING WINDING ME UP?!! MAURA HAS GONE????” One gutted fan said.
And another wrote: “Are you joking?!?! Maura has been eliminated?! I DEMAND a recount.”
So what’s going on? Why are all the favourites being shown the door?
Tulisa was the third celeb to leave the show (ITV)
Well, turns out there’s actually a reason behind it and it’s called the ‘bystander effect’.
Psychotherapist James Lloyd explained that the bystander effect, also known as the ‘diffusion of responsibility’ occurs when people believe a contestant is ‘universally popular’.
He told LADbible: “When people believe that a contestant is universally popular, they may assume their vote isn’t needed because they think others will handle it. This can inadvertently lead to fewer votes for the favourites and surprise eliminations.
“Another factor could be the sheer diversity of likeable personalities this season. When viewers are spoiled for choice, their votes may spread more evenly across campmates, reducing the dominance of any single ‘favourite’. A split like this can lead to unexpected results.”
Viewers were shocked when Maura was voted off (ITV)
Meanwhile, psychology coach Casey Paul revealed the voting trend could also be a result of the public empathising with the ‘underdogs’.
“If a contestant is perceived as struggling, disadvantaged, or less popular, viewers may vote for them as a way of balancing the scales,” she tells LADbible.
“There could also be a misjudgement of popularity where perception of a campmate’s popularity might not actually match reality.
“Social media, for example, can create a bubble where certain contestants seem more beloved than they are, leading to surprise eliminations when votes don’t align with online hype.
