Adam Thomas, the winner of I'm A Celebrity... South Africa, has issued an emotional statement saying the show has been 'tarnished' for him following a turbulent finale that attracted over 1,000 Ofcom complaints.
The Emmerdale actor was crowned winner of the All Stars series, but the live final descended into chaos as a confrontation erupted with Jimmy Bullard, who accused Adam of being 'intimidating, aggressive and abusive' during an argument after a trial. Tensions also arose over David Haye, who had been accused of bullying Adam in the jungle, though Haye claimed it was banter. Some campers walked off set, and hosts Ant and Dec had to intervene.
Ofcom received 1,187 complaints during the finale, with the majority concerning alleged bullying conduct from Jimmy and David towards Adam throughout the programme.
Speaking on his podcast, Adam said: 'It's sad now because the way I always looked at this show, the way I perceived this show, it's tarnished for me.' He described feeling like he had 'sold his soul' and said nothing could make him repeat the experience.
Adam added that when his name was announced as winner, 'the colour drained from my face', and he felt the moment was not about him but about an 'agenda'. He contrasted his lack of joy with his son Teddy's happiness at winning trophies at a dance competition.
