Body language expert Judi James has provided her analysis of the intense exchange between male stars during the live final of I'm A Celebrity... South Africa, revealing that Ant McPartlin ‘took control’ in what she described as a ‘dominance battle’ against Jimmy Bullard and David Haye.
Heated Exchange on Live TV
During the live final on Friday night, campmates Jimmy Bullard and David Haye clashed with show hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in tense scenes. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Judi James shared her interpretation of the shocking onscreen moments, suggesting the conflict was rooted in a desire for attention and the spotlight.
James explained: “For this series, winning that spotlight looked brutal, with arguments being the main form of currency to get attention on the final show here. You could see the rigid, unhappy, and blank poker faces of Gemma Collins, Scarlett Moffatt, and Ashley Roberts as the lead men continued to steal the spotlight by continuing their arguments during the live final. Gemma, Scarlett, and Ashley looked drained and resigned here while the battle for screen time raged about them.”
Ant’s Professional Authority
James also highlighted how Ant appeared particularly angry as he fought to maintain his professional authority amid the chaos. She continued: “And the rage did look real, especially from Ant, whose professional authority as host and as real star of the show with Dec also became compromised, leading to a stand-up spat between Ant and Jimmy.”
“Jimmy made this show about him by dominating air time that should have been evenly dispersed. It became the Jimmy show, and that appeared to be David’s cue to try to regain some attention by joining in. David’s body language display suggested a strong desire to gain profile interest and power by performing a full splay, throwing his arms out wide in a signature pose from his time in the ring. It suggested a desire to hold alpha status in the group too, and it prompted Ant and Dec to try to close him down with an authoritative approach and some ‘cancelling’ hand gestures to stop a new conflict.”
Sinitta and Gemma’s Reactions
At this point, Sinitta was seen vying to gain attention from her end with a raised arm and point. When she walked, she showboated to the cameras in an attention fight-back, whereas Gemma just walked out in what looked like genuine frustration.
James then noted how one male cast member, Harry Redknapp, tried to disassociate himself from the antics. She said: “In one key moment of conflict, we had David splaying, Jimmy standing, and Harry Redknapp puffing dramatically and looking down to exit from any connection to the drama.”
Ant Takes Control
“When Gemma walked, Ant reached peak anger signals. Dec stopped mirroring him here, and it was Ant taking total control as authoritative leader. His angry stare suggested this was not an act for the camera, and he stabbed both hands onto his own chest in a gesture that signalled he was in charge before engaging in a pointed finger ‘duel’ with Jimmy. There was one final, stabbing point gesture from Ant that should have warned Jimmy that he needed to stop.”
