ITV has firmly denied allegations that Adam Thomas received preferential treatment during the all-stars series of I'm a Celebrity... South Africa, following a chaotic live final that saw former footballer Jimmy Bullard and boxer David Haye confront the eventual winner. The pre-recorded series concluded on Friday (24 April) with an explosive live broadcast in which Bullard accused Thomas of engaging in “abusive, aggressive and intimidating” behaviour during filming. The pair had clashed in camp, with Bullard claiming that ITV had edited out footage of Thomas hurling abuse, including expletives. Haye also alleged that the network had portrayed Thomas as a “victim” through selective editing. Thomas, while accepting “full responsibility” for his actions, later took to social media to state that he would not be brought down by those who “try to dim your light”.
ITV's Response to Allegations
In response to the accusations of favouritism, an ITV spokesperson told The Independent: “We showed an accurate and fair representation of events. Suggesting ITV favours anyone is an incorrect and harmful accusation. All campmates were invited to the live finale to celebrate the series and to share their thoughts, individually and collectively.” The Independent has sought comment from representatives of Thomas, Bullard, and Haye.
The Camp Confrontation
The tension between Thomas and Bullard escalated during the final week of pre-recorded filming in South Africa. Bullard abandoned a trial, leading to both campmates being eliminated. Thomas shouted at the former sports star, accusing him of “taking the p***” and stating: “If you wanted to go, go. Don’t do it on my f***ing watch!” Despite this, Thomas was allowed to remain in the competition after his fellow campmates voted for him to stay.
During the live final, Bullard addressed the incident, claiming that a significant portion of Thomas’s rant—including multiple “C-bombs”—had been omitted from the broadcast. “What I don’t stand on is someone being abusive, aggressive and intimidating. Youse were there, you had front row seats. You didn’t show none of that,” Bullard asserted.
Presenters and Campmates React
Presenters Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly downplayed suggestions that the scene had been trimmed for bias. McPartlin stated that he had not found the exchange intimidating and that the “C-bomb” was cut because it was “unbroadcastable”. Boxer Haye, who also clashed with Thomas in the jungle, then claimed that the Emmerdale star was “such a victim”. Haye accused ITV of editing the show “to make this poor guy look like a victim so the people support him”, though it was pointed out that he had already been eliminated by the time the incident occurred.
As the finale descended into chaos, campmate Sinitta walked off the set, telling the audience she had found the original exchange between Thomas and Bullard “aggressive and abusive”. Gemma Collins followed suit, later posting on Instagram: “Jimmy Bullard and David Haye should be absolutely DISGUSTED WITH THEMSELVES.”
Social Media Reactions
Following the final, Thomas wrote on social media: “I have realised that when people try to dim your light, it says more about them than it ever will about you.” He added that he had “no negativity” towards “those who doubted me or tried to bring me down”. However, his wife, Caroline Daly, took a more direct approach, posting: “What should have been a night of celebration for everyone, turned into a glimpse of a real jungle, watching a pack of vulture attack! I have never ever seen anything like the vile display that was demonstrated live on national television last night, on what is supposed to be a loved family show full of laughter and fun.”
