Maya Jama has shared her thoughts on the explosive row that erupted during the live finale of I'm A Celebrity... South Africa on Friday night. The final instalment of the spin-off saw the remaining cast return to the studio to determine who would be crowned the legend of the jungle, but the event descended into utter chaos.
Chaotic Finale
The live broadcast was disrupted when David Haye confronted Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas, Jimmy Bullard launched a furious rant at hosts Ant and Dec over edited clips, and both Sinitta and Gemma Collins stormed off the stage. Maya, 31, who has presented ITV's Love Island since January 2023, retweeted a chaotic clip featuring all these moments and shared her perspective.
She wrote: 'Didn't watch but from this clip alone... This is why I love live TV so much & hosting the aftersun show because barely any channels do it anymore out of fear of what can go wrong but people want real reactions and an edited show will never compete to the live experience! Ant and Dec I love you forever also x.'
Public Reaction
Many fans responded to Maya's tweet, agreeing with her sentiments. One user commented: 'Lol this is where British TV thrives tbh — unfiltered and messy af.' Another added: 'You're absolutely right, live TV adds a real edge.' Others echoed the sentiment, with one stating: 'Love islander viewers yearn for messy live tv.'
During the final, Ant and Dec gave Jimmy the chance to speak after Adam allegedly called him the 'C-word' in an earlier clash. Jimmy explained that he had to leave for personal reasons but felt the show's editing was unfair. 'Listen, Adam and all of you can be upset with me... but what I don't stand on, is someone being abusive, aggressive and intimidating,' he said.
Jimmy then turned to the hosts: 'You were there and you didn't show any of that footage. You didn't show any of the C-bombs, it's a liberty.' Ant countered: 'The reason we didn't air the C-bomb is because that is unbroadcastable. I was there and I didn't think it was intimidating.'
Adam's Apology
Adam later apologised, stating: 'I take full responsibility for my actions... I have nothing but love for Jimmy in that moment. I have apologised to Jimmy on numerous occasions... That is not how I want to show myself off.' However, David Haye interrupted, accusing the show of editing to make Adam appear the victim. Sinitta also stormed off, shouting: 'Guys, you weren't there, I was there and it was aggressive and abusive, we were shaking.'
Ant and Dec eventually wrapped up the segment, saying: 'Right, let's leave it there. We'll agree to disagree Jim.' The unaired scenes reportedly included Adam dropping the C-bomb multiple times, according to co-stars like Craig Charles.
I'm A Celebrity... South Africa airs on ITV.
