In all of its 24 years on our TV screens, never has there been so much beef in the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here camp.
Fans have been enthralled by feuding campmates Adam Thomas, Jimmy Bullard, and David Haye, and things came to a head during the live final.
It’s no exaggeration to say the show descended into total chaos on Friday, with Jimmy seizing the opportunity to accuse Adam of being ‘abusive, aggressive, and intimidating’ during an explosive row.
Jimmy Bullard on the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! South Africa Live Final. Pic: Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Shutterstock
Bear in mind that I’m A Celeb: All Stars was filmed last year, so tensions have clearly been bubbling over recent months.
Ant and Dec lost control over the situation, which saw Gemma Collins and Sinitta storm off in fury. The presenting duo gave Jimmy the floor to speak his mind after Adam allegedly called him the ‘C-word’ when he pulled the plug on the show last year.
‘Listen, Adam and all of you can be upset with me and I absolutely threw him under the bus, I get it and I’ll wear that’, Jimmy said. ‘But what I don’t stand on, is someone being abusive, aggressive and intimidating, I don’t stand on that.’
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly on the I’m A Celeb live final. Pic: Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Shutterstock
Bringing Ant and Dec into things, Jimmy said: ‘You [pointing to the hosts] were there, and you didn’t show any of that [footage]. You didn’t show any of the C-bombs, it’s a liberty.’
Ant defended: ‘The reason we didn’t air the C-bomb is because that is unbroadcastable. I was there and I didn’t think it was intimidating. I was there Jim.’
It was then Adam’s turn to talk. The Emmerdale actor held his hands up, saying: ‘I take full responsibility for my actions and yes emotions were definitely running high in that moment.’
Adam Thomas and Craig Charles on the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! South Africa Live Final.
Pic: Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Shutterstock
‘I have nothing but love for Jimmy in that moment. I have apologised to Jimmy on numerous occasions, and I do take everything that he is saying into account, and the only thing I can do is apologise,’ Adam continued.
‘That is not how I want to show myself off and I have never shown myself off like that before or after that. I do apologise Jimmy.’
It was David’s turn to interject, with a ‘funny way of showing it’ comment, that made Ant and Dec furiously tell him to stop interrupting.
Television Programme: I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! with Adam Thomas. Pic: REX
But, David continued: ‘I like to say how I see it, I like to keep it real, and what I have seen is a lot of editing to make this poor guy [pointing to Adam] the victim so the people will support him.
‘We all had banter back and forth, a lot of it was cut out from their side. But I think it is time for the truth.’
Enraged, Sinitta stormed off stage while telling the audience: ‘Guys, you weren’t there, I was there, and it was aggressive and abusive, we were shaking.’
I’m A Celeb star David Haye with his girlfriend, Siân Osborne. Pic: Instagram
In the background, Jimmy piped up again, shouting: ‘You can’t be aggressive, abusive and intimidating, it doesn’t matter if Adam said sorry. I will not take you [Ant] saying it wasn’t aggressive, abusive and intimidating, you can’t say that. Show it, let everyone watch it, let’s play it now!’
Ant and Dec wrapped up: ‘Right, let’s leave it there. We’ll agree to disagree, Jim.’
Gemma was in Adam’s corner, saying: ‘He will forever be my hero, Adam. He so deserves to win!’, but David was not too happy, asking: ‘Do you think he deserves to win this after calling Jimmy the C-word a couple of times?’
Adam Thomas, Craig Charles, Harry Redknapp and Mo Farah on the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! South Africa Live Final. Pic: Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Shutterstock
‘Yeah, after that challenge, I do think I deserve to win’, Adam, one third of the Thomas brothers, proudly replied.
David retorted: ‘Don’t you think you should ask Jimmy whether he thinks he deserves to win? Because there was a lot of that stuff cut out of it.’
As Ant and Dec tried to regain control of the situation, Dec said: ‘We will come to this, we are going to ask Jimmy later, and we will speak to you as well.’
Jimmy Bullard on the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! South Africa Live Final. Pic: Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Shutterstock
‘There was a lot of stuff that was said that was unbroadcastable [sic]’, Ant confirmed.
In the scenes of the fiery clash between the campmates, Adam is seen shouting at his co-star: ‘Jimmy, are you f***ing taking the p***? I am in there getting covered in f***ing ants.’ Jimmy replied: ‘Woah, calm down. That’s pathetic.’
Craig Charles and several other I’m A Celeb: All Stars campmates maintain claims that Adam dropped the ‘C-bomb’ multiple times in unaired scenes.
Watch a snippet of the explosive I’m A Celeb: All Stars live final below: