Freshly crowned Jungle Legend Adam Thomas appeared to be struggling with his emotions after a tense final saw an explosive row break out, dampening his victory. The former Emmerdale star was victorious in the live final of I'm A Celebrity... South Africa on Friday, April 24, but his success was overshadowed by ongoing tensions with co-stars Jimmy Bullard and David Haye.
Body Language Expert Weighs In
According to body language expert Judi James, Adam, 37, seemed to take the angered exchanges between his former campmates to heart. As he was crowned the winner, only a fleeting smile showed his happiness. Judi exclusively told The Mirror: 'There has never been a winner of I'm A Celeb showing in such an apparently low emotional state as Adam Thomas last night.'
Adam's Subdued Reaction
As he stood waiting for the result to be announced, Adam kept his hands thrust in his pockets and, with an unsmiling expression, his eyes looked full of tears. He appeared resigned, as though even the win might not have been reward enough for all the dramas that led up to it. Judi noted that for celebrities, the reward comes from attention, screen time, and brand-buffing. They hate to be upstaged, and for this series, winning that spotlight looked brutal, with arguments being the main form of currency to get attention on the final show.
Conflict Among Campmates
Jimmy Bullard made the show about himself by dominating chat time that should have been evenly dispersed, which appeared to be David Haye's cue to try to regain attention by joining in. David's body language suggested a strong desire to gain profile interest and power, performing a full splay and throwing his arms out wide in a signature pose from his time in the ring. Host Ant McPartlin tried to bring chaos under control with a show of strength, using authoritative approaches and 'cancelling' hand gestures to stop new conflict. Sinitta also vied for attention with a raised arm and point, while Gemma Collins walked out in what looked like genuine frustration.
Aftermath of the Final
All this resulted in a very subdued and unhappy-looking Adam standing alongside Mo, clearly expecting Mo to win or maybe not even caring by that point. When his name was announced, his head performed a micro-jerk of utter shock, but his non-verbal mood barely shifted from dour. Reactions from others were contrasting: Gemma looked genuinely delighted, jumping up to cover Jimmy behind her and applauding like a fan. The three girls appeared to celebrate with authentic expressions of delight, but Harry Redknapp was unsmiling and grim-faced, while Jimmy's smile at the ground looked knowing rather than openly celebratory. Adam managed a smile for the cameras from his throne, but it was fleeting and forced-looking, and the cameras appeared to move away quickly for the end of the show.
