Adam Thomas has been crowned the winner and "ultimate legend 2026" of I'm A Celebrity... South Africa, after the live finale descended into chaos. The 37-year-old actor secured the public vote during the final on Friday, which was marred by accusations from former footballer Jimmy Bullard that Thomas was "abusive, aggressive and intimidating".
Chaotic Finale Unfolds
The episode became increasingly turbulent when David Haye joined the conversation, accusing the show of editing footage to portray Thomas as a "victim". After defending the actor, Sinitta and Gemma Collins walked off the set in protest. Thomas has been in the headlines since the all-star series began, due to his feud with boxer Haye, whom he claimed "broke" him and pushed him to his limits, as well as a row with campmate Bullard that nearly jeopardised his time on the show.
Bullard discussed their explosive argument on the programme, alleging that Thomas dropped "c-bombs" that were not broadcast. He asked hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly for their opinion, noting they had "front row seats". McPartlin disagreed that the exchange was aggressive, stating: "No it wasn't, I was there." Thomas responded by accepting "full responsibility" for his actions, expressing "nothing but love for Jimmy". However, Haye interjected, saying: "You've got a funny way of showing it."
The interaction spiralled further when Haye was questioned about his own controversial remarks on the show. He replied: "I like to say it like I see it," and accused the programme of editing footage in Thomas's favour. He added: "We all had banter back and forth, and a lot of it was cut out from their side." Haye and Bullard then appealed to fellow contestants to agree that Thomas had been "abusive, intimidating and aggressive" during his row with Bullard. Meanwhile, Sinitta and Collins defended the actor but eventually walked off, with the former The Only Way Is Essex star describing Haye as "aggressive".
Thomas Crowned Winner
Despite the drama, Thomas was later crowned the winner by reality TV star Sam Thompson, who won the original series in 2023. Thompson described being on the show as a "blast". Olympian Sir Mo Farah finished in second place, hailing the experience as "amazing" and "entertaining", while former football manager Harry Redknapp came third, saying he "really enjoyed" his time on the series. Craig Charles secured fourth place during the episode, which saw the finalists face insects, reptiles and other creepy crawlies in pre-recorded trials filmed last autumn, as they each fought to earn stars for their final jungle banquet.
After completing their gruelling challenges, the final four sat down for their jungle banquet. Thomas spoke of how the group "reminisced about the good old days" during their three weeks in camp. Earlier in the episode, Haye interrupted proceedings to question whether Thomas deserved to win, given his interaction with Bullard, after Collins hailed the actor as her "hero" and rooted for his victory.
McPartlin jokingly remarked that the "scariest thing" the celebrities faced this series was "David Haye's views about women", referencing the boxer's comments about "ugly birds" while discussing his girlfriend Sian Osborne, which had caused viewer outrage. Ant and Dec also offered "support and love" to soap star Beverley Callard, who was unable to attend the live event. This followed her forced departure from camp earlier in the week due to undisclosed health issues, later revealed to be the onset of her breast cancer diagnosis.
