Adam Thomas has broken his silence after the chaotic I’m A Celebrity… South Africa live final, accusing ITV of exploiting the tension surrounding his jungle fallout with David Haye and Jimmy Bullard — while emotionally revealing how the experience left him mentally shattered.
The 37-year-old actor, who was crowned winner of the pre-recorded All Stars series, said the dramatic live finale at London’s Apollo Theatre no longer felt like a celebration of his victory, but instead became “a show” built around conflict and humiliation.
Speaking alongside brothers Ryan and Scott on their Thomas Bros podcast, Adam admitted he felt completely overwhelmed as old tensions exploded again on stage in front of the studio audience.
He said: “That live show, I just felt like I’d just been exploited. I felt like I was in the midst of it all, and it wasn’t even about me.”
Adam also aimed a direct accusation at former boxer David Haye, describing his behaviour in camp as “bullying” and insisting viewers never saw the emotional manipulation happening behind the scenes.
The Waterloo Road star explained that while other campmates dismissed the incidents as “banter”, he was privately struggling and trying to hide how deeply affected he really was.
“What happened to me in camp was bullying,” Adam said emotionally. “People pass it off as banter, but I’m telling you my truth — it was bullying.”
The actor then made a shocking claim about a private conversation he allegedly had with David after leaving camp. According to Adam, the former boxer admitted: “I’ve never met a nicer guy, I just wanted to break you.”
Adam said the comment left him devastated and questioning everything that happened during filming.
He also revealed that David allegedly manipulated him by pretending ITV producers had privately warned him about Adam’s mental health struggles after he fainted in camp — an incident that was never shown on television.
Recalling the moment, Adam said David sat him down and claimed producers had told him to “stop” because Adam had been crying about him.
But Adam later discovered ITV had never shared any such information.
“So I asked David when I got out and he said, ‘Yeah I just made it all up,’” Adam revealed. “I was like wow… you really manipulated the s**t out of me.”
Fighting back tears during the podcast, the actor admitted the experience left him emotionally vulnerable and unable to properly defend himself inside camp.
“He got in my head like you wouldn’t believe,” Adam confessed. “Nobody sees the little comments he makes. He mind-f***ed me.”
Despite eventually winning the series, Adam said the aftermath has been incredibly difficult, especially after some viewers accused him of “playing the victim” online.
“I just wanted it all to go away,” he admitted quietly.
