David Haye has announced his intention to sue ITV, alleging that the editing of I'm a Celebrity: South Africa caused 'irreparable damage' to his brand. The former heavyweight world champion boxer claims the series was 'heavily directed' and 'manipulated' to portray him negatively.
In a video posted on Instagram, Haye, 45, said the experience had a 'detrimental effect' on him and left him 'facing negative repercussions'. During the show, which aired last month, he faced criticism for comments about women and for his treatment of fellow contestant Adam Thomas.
Addressing reports of a £10m claim, Haye said the figure would be 'way more than that'. He expressed confidence that a judge would rule in his favour once the unedited footage was reviewed, stating: 'I'm looking forward to a judge seeing exactly what went down.'
However, media law experts have cautioned that such claims are 'notoriously difficult' to win. Kishan Pattni of Freeths LLP said the Defamation Act 2013 requires proof of false statements of fact causing serious harm, which is challenging in reality TV contexts. Joseph McCaughley of Spencer West LLP noted that contestants typically sign contracts granting producers editorial control.
