Psychologist Emma Kenny has pointed the finger at presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly for the chaotic scenes that marred the live final of I'm A Celebrity... South Africa on Friday.
Kenny told the Mirror that the duo forgot their roles as hosts, saying: 'Ant and Dec forgot their roles as presenters. They are meant to be the emotional anchors of the show.' She argued that when they stepped into the conflict, the structure felt less secure, leading to a descent into chaos.
Tensions erupted over allegations from Jimmy Bullard that winner Adam Thomas had been 'abusive, aggressive and intimidating,' with David Haye supporting Bullard and Sinitta and Gemma Collins walking off stage. Kenny described this as a 'rupture of group cohesion' and noted that the walk-off signalled emotional overload.
The psychologist highlighted a 'split narrative' between those defending Adam and those accusing him, suggesting that the edited reality clashed with the lived experience of the campmates. She added that Adam looked 'visibly uncomfortable' as he was crowned winner, experiencing 'cognitive dissonance' amid the social rejection.
