David Haye has sparked further controversy by sharing a vulgar AI-generated image of himself flipping the middle finger, in what appears to be a fresh swipe at Adam Thomas following their widely publicised 'bullying' row on I'm A Celebrity. The former boxer, 45, had a tense relationship with Waterloo Road star Adam, 37, during filming in South Africa last September.
Accusations of Bullying
Haye faced accusations of bullying after multiple derogatory comments aimed at Adam were broadcast. In one instance, he called the actor 'useless' for withdrawing from a trial due to health concerns related to his autoimmune condition, psoriatic arthritis. Despite Haye dismissing their exchanges as 'banter' after his exit earlier this week, his latest social media post has reignited the controversy.
On Tuesday evening, Haye posted an AI-created image of himself in boxing shorts, sternly raising his middle finger. The post included audio of Adam saying, 'I've got no issues David, you're my only issue right now,' taken from a camp confrontation.
Adam's Emotional Response
Adam previously shared an emotional statement, revealing he struggled 'physically, mentally and emotionally' in camp and that Haye had 'broken' him. He described the experience as one of the toughest of his life, particularly due to his arthritis. 'My biggest fight was pretending to put on a brave face and trying to hide the pain,' he wrote.
The row escalated during last Friday's episode when Adam excused himself from the Termite Terror trial due to feeling unwell. Haye responded, 'Who gives a s**t if he doesn't feel well. He's a grown-ass man. I don't like guys who are a bit useless.' He later suggested Adam's food portion should be smaller.
Hosts Express Discomfort
I'm A Celebrity hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly broke their usual silence on the spin-off show Unpacked, calling the exchanges 'uncomfortable'. Ant said, 'It's not a nice watch. He just kind of picks and picks at them.' Dec added, 'It's kind of crossed the line from banter.'
After leaving camp, Haye defended his behaviour, saying, 'No bad blood from my side. I was actually on my best behaviour there, honestly.' He attributed his tough attitude to his boxing background.
Jimmy Bullard's Exit
Meanwhile, viewers finally saw the moment that led to Jimmy Bullard quitting the show after a clash with Adam. During a trial, Bullard ended the trial early, prompting an angry outburst from Haye. It is understood Bullard is refusing to appear at the live final, potentially losing 20% of his appearance fee.
I'm A Celebrity continues on ITV1 and ITVX.
