ITV has denied claims that Adam Thomas received preferential treatment on I’m a Celebrity... South Africa, after the live final descended into chaos.
The all-star series, which was pre-recorded last year, came to its conclusion on Friday (24 April), with an explosive live show where former footballer Jimmy Bullard accused eventual winner Thomas of “abusive, aggressive and intimidating” behaviour during filming.
The pair had clashed in camp, with Bullard claiming in the final that ITV had cut footage of Thomas hurling abuse. His fellow campmate David Haye also alleged that ITV had made Thomas look like a “victim”. While Thomas said that he took “full responsibility” for his actions, he later wrote on social media that he wouldn’t be brought down by people who “try to dim your light”.
Responding to allegations of “favouritism”, an ITV spokesperson told The Independent: “We showed an accurate and fair representation of events. Suggesting ITV favours anyone is an incorrect and harmful accusation. All campmates were invited to the live finale to celebrate the series and to share their thoughts, individually and collectively.”
The Independent has contacted Thomas, Bullard and Haye’s representatives for comment.
The situation between Thomas and Bullard came to a head in the final week of pre-recorded action from South Africa, when Bullard gave up on a trial, leading to the pair both being eliminated.
Thomas yelled at the former sports star that he was “taking the p***”, adding: “If you wanted to go, go. Don’t do it on my f***ing watch!” However, Thomas was later allowed to remain in the competition after his campmates voted for him to stay.
But in Friday’s live final, Bullard addressed the row, claiming that a large portion of Thomas’s rant – including some “C-bombs” – had been cut.
“What I don’t stand on is someone being abusive, aggressive and intimidating. Youse were there, you had front row seats. You didn’t show none of that,” Bullard claimed.
Presenters Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly downplayed ideas that the scene had been trimmed for bias reasons, with McPartlin insisting that he hadn’t found the exchange intimidating and that the “C-bomb” had been cut because it was “unbroadcastable”.
Boxer Haye, who also clashed with Thomas in the jungle, then claimed that the Emmerdale star was “such a victim”. Haye also accused ITV of “editing” the show “to make this poor guy look like a victim so the people support him” – although it was then pointed out that he had already been eliminated by the time the moment took place.
As the scene in the final descended into chaos, their fellow campmate Sinitta walked off the set, telling the audience that she had found the original exchange between Thomas and Bullard “aggressive and abusive”. Gemma Collins followed, and later posted on Instagram: “Jimmy Bullard and David Haye should be absolutely DISGUSTED WITH THEMSELVES.”
Following the final, Thomas wrote on social media: “I have realised that when people try to dim your light, it says more about them than it ever will about you.”
While Thomas wrote that he had “no negativity” towards “those who doubted me or tried to bring me down”, his wife Caroline Daly took a more direct approach.
She wrote on social media: “What should have been a night of celebration for everyone, turned into a glimpse of a real jungle, watching a pack of vulture attack! I have never ever seen anything like the vile display that was demonstrated live on national television last night, on what is supposed to be a loved family show full of laughter and fun.”
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