Ant and Dec have made the rare decision to publicly criticise one of their own I’m A Celebrity campmates, after David Haye’s treatment of Adam Thomas sparked growing backlash and fresh bullying claims among viewers.
The presenting duo did not hide their discomfort as they addressed the tense scenes from I’m A Celebrity… South Africa, where former boxer David came under fire for repeatedly targeting Adam while the actor was already struggling physically and emotionally in camp.
The controversy escalated after Adam, who lives with psoriatic arthritis, admitted he was too unwell and dehydrated to take part in the Termite Terror Bushtucker Trial. Instead of backing off, David branded him “useless” and insisted he “doesn’t like men like that” — comments that left fans furious and fellow campmates visibly uneasy.
Speaking on the companion podcast I’m A Celebrity… Unpacked, Ant made it clear he was disturbed by what viewers had seen. He said: “It’s not a nice watch. He just kind of picks and picks at them. Adam has had a bit of a tough time and he’s not coping well. Clearly the banter has got too much. But David won’t stop.”
Dec agreed, saying the situation had gone well beyond harmless jokes. He said: “It’s kind of crossed the line from banter. I don’t find it comfortable to watch.”
Their remarks marked an unusually direct intervention from the ITV hosts, who rarely single out contestants in such a critical way, and it only added to the growing storm surrounding David’s behaviour in camp.
Gemma Collins also revealed she felt compelled to step in after noticing Adam’s vulnerability. Reflecting on the atmosphere inside camp, she said: “I think David Haye might have seen a weakness in Adam, there were times where I had to protect Adam in there.”
She added that she had to stay calm to avoid the situation spiralling, explaining: “If I was going full GC mode on David Haye, and a lot of them, then it would’ve been a disaster in there but I had to remain calm and composed and just remember that I’m not here to be performative. I am here as me.”
Gemma then made it clear she was ready to confront David if things had gone any further. She said: “I knew if it was ever gonna get too bad I would be taking David on… because if I feel that something’s too much, I’m not afraid to step up.”
Behind the scenes, Adam was fighting far more than viewers first realised. The former Emmerdale and Waterloo Road star has now spoken movingly about the pain he was battling during filming, admitting that revisiting the episodes has been devastating.
In an emotional Instagram post shared alongside a photo from the show, Adam confessed: “Not going to lie, this picture breaks my heart, as I know on the inside what I was dealing with and truth be told I thought it was all my fault. I now know that’s not the reality.”
He went on to describe the ITV experience as one of the hardest periods of his life, writing: “My time in I’m a Celebrity South Africa was one of the toughest things I’ve ever been through, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Watching it back hasn’t been easy at all. There were moments I felt pushed to my absolute limit, and if I’m honest, times I didn’t even recognise myself.”
Adam also opened up about living with arthritis, admitting it is something he rarely discusses publicly despite the toll it takes on him. He wrote: “Living with arthritis is something I don’t really talk about, as much as I should do… but in there it really took its toll. My biggest fight was pretending to put on a brave face and trying to hide the pain! that can be exhausting within itself.”
In another heartbreaking admission, he revealed: “There were days my body just didn’t want to keep going, but I did. I won’t sit here and say I handled everything perfectly, because I didn’t. I wish I spoke up for myself sooner. I wish I stood my ground instead of trying to keep the peace, but I’ve learned that being kind doesn’t mean being weak, and sometimes it takes going through tough moments to find your voice.”
What began as uncomfortable camp banter has now exploded into one of the most controversial storylines of the series, with Ant and Dec’s rare rebuke, Gemma Collins’ protective stance and Adam’s raw confession all painting a much darker picture of what really unfolded in camp.
