Adam Thomas was crowned winner of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa, but the live final was overshadowed by a bitter on-air dispute that left the ITV show dominated by arguments rather than celebration.
The actor beat Sir Mo Farah, Harry Redknapp and Craig Charles to take the title, with Sir Mo finishing runner-up. But the result was quickly eclipsed by a row involving Jimmy Bullard and David Haye over the way a previous clash with Thomas had been edited for broadcast.
The dispute centred on the fallout from the Rancid Run trial, when Bullard decided to quit the challenge, forcing Thomas to leave as well under the rules of the twist. During the live final, Bullard said he accepted he had “thrown him under the bus”, but accused Thomas of being “abusive, aggressive and intimidating”, and claimed ITV had not shown the full context of the row.
Ant McPartlin pushed back on that claim live on air, saying the reason certain language was not shown was because it was unbroadcastable. He also rejected the suggestion that Thomas had been intimidating, telling Bullard: “I was there Jim.”
Thomas responded by accepting responsibility for his language and said he had apologised to Bullard more than once. He told viewers that the moment did not reflect how he wanted to present himself.
David Haye then joined the criticism, claiming the editing had made Thomas look like “the victim” and suggesting a fuller picture of the tension in camp had not been shown.
The confrontation appeared to leave a mark on the mood of the final. Reports from inside the studio described the atmosphere as tense, with claims that Thomas looked subdued despite winning the show.
Accounts circulating from audience members have described chaotic scenes during breaks in filming, including claims that Bullard stood over Thomas during one advert break, making those nearby feel uncomfortable. Other studio claims included Scarlett Moffatt appearing upset and Gemma Collins urging Bullard to “tell the truth” about the earlier dispute.
Further reports have also alleged that a heated disagreement continued after the live broadcast, with security stepping in during an exchange involving Bullard and Ant McPartlin.
The controversy has continued beyond the programme itself. Thomas later posted on social media that, despite what he described as bullying behaviour from Haye and his row with Bullard, he had stayed true to himself throughout the series.