The live final of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! descended into chaos on Friday night as months of tension finally erupted on stage between David Haye, Adam Thomas and Jimmy Bullard.
What began as a standard finale quickly spiralled when David suddenly interrupted hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, turning directly to Adam and bluntly questioning whether he “deserved to win” after allegedly calling Jimmy the C-word during their explosive clash in South Africa — a moment that never aired.
Adam, 37, stood his ground and replied: “Yeah, after that challenge I do think I deserve to win.” But David pushed further, insisting viewers hadn’t seen the full picture and suggesting Jimmy’s opinion should be the one that counts. As the atmosphere turned tense, Dec stepped in to regain control, saying they would return to the issue later, while Ant admitted there had been “a lot of stuff… unbroadcastable.”
The confrontation reignited a bitter feud that began during a Bushtucker Trial filmed last year, when Jimmy refused to continue the task, putting Adam’s place in the competition at risk. In the scenes that did air, Adam lashed out in frustration, shouting: “Jimmy, are you fing taking the p? I am in there getting covered in f***ing ants,” while Jimmy hit back: “Woah, calm down. That’s pathetic.” However, fellow campmates later claimed the most shocking moments — including repeated use of offensive language — were cut entirely.
Craig Charles later revealed the incident was far more intense than viewers were shown, describing it as deeply traumatic and saying Adam appeared “so wound up” he looked like he might attack Jimmy. He added that Adam had been “dropping f-bombs and c-bombs” during the unaired scenes, explaining why ITV had no choice but to tone it down.
Despite the controversy, Gemma Collins publicly backed Adam after his final eating trial — which viewers branded “horrendous” — declaring: “He will forever be my hero, Adam. He so deserves to win!” Her praise appeared to frustrate David, who moments later launched his on-air challenge.
Earlier in the show, Adam had attempted to brush off the drama, saying: “I know there was a lot of drama… but honestly we had the best time,” even as he was met with a mix of cheers and boos from the audience.
The fallout has sharply divided viewers, with some defending Adam and arguing the language used was typical under extreme pressure, while others insisted his behaviour crossed the line and should cost him the title.
Behind the scenes, the drama may not be over. Sources claim Jimmy is ready to give his own version of events and “won’t be toeing ITV’s line,” suggesting more revelations could emerge after the final.
Adam has already admitted the experience left a lasting impact, revealing he is now in therapy after feeling “mind f***ed” by the ordeal and saying the jungle changed him completely. Meanwhile, David has continued to take swipes at him publicly, fuelling further backlash and even sparking complaints from viewers accusing the boxer of bullying.
With Harry Redknapp and Mo Farah also vying for the crown after Craig Charles finished fourth, the winner may have been the headline — but the real story was the explosive confrontation that turned a TV finale into a full-blown showdown.
