Adam Thomas Wins I'm A Celebrity All-Star Series in South Africa
Spoiler warning: This article reveals details about the final of I'm A Celebrity... South Africa.
Actor Adam Thomas has been crowned king of the jungle in the latest all-star edition of the reality TV show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! following an eventful and drama-packed stay in the camp.
Thomas experienced a rollercoaster journey during the South Africa series, which included confrontations with boxer David Haye and footballer Jimmy Bullard. Notably, he had an explosive argument with Bullard after the footballer apparently caused his elimination from the show. However, fellow campmates later gave Thomas a reprieve, allowing him to continue.
From a low point near elimination, Thomas was ultimately voted the winner during Friday's live final broadcast on ITV.
Finalists and Series Background
The other finalists in the competition were Olympic athlete Sir Mo Farah, TV and radio personality Craig Charles, and football manager Harry Redknapp.
This was the second series of the South Africa-set spin-off, which features returning contestants from previous seasons. Thomas originally finished third on the regular version of the show in 2016.
Challenges and Conflicts in Camp
Throughout his stay, Thomas endured verbal jabs from David Haye, who at one point described him as "weak" and "brittle-spirited."
Reflecting on his experience, Thomas posted on social media on Sunday:
"The show was one of the toughest things I've ever been through, physically, mentally, and emotionally."
He added:
"He broke me in there, he pushed me to my limits, and I've told David this and he's apologised and that's that! I've moved on now, am not one to hold a grudge."
Thomas also revealed that he did not discuss his condition of psoriatic arthritis as much as he should have, but that it significantly affected him during the show:
"I didn't talk about living with psoriatic arthritis as much as I should do... but in there it really took its toll."
Incident with Jimmy Bullard
One of the most dramatic moments involved Thomas launching a furious tirade at Bullard after the footballer nearly caused his early exit from the series.
During a trial where the losing pair would be eliminated, Bullard refused to participate and instead said "I'm a celebrity get me out of here" to forfeit the challenge. This led to Thomas apparently being forced to leave as well.
Thomas responded with an expletive-filled rant directed at Bullard, accusing him of either quitting on his own or not participating in the show at all.
Producers chose not to air the full extent of Thomas's outburst. Craig Charles revealed:
"They watered it down. It was unbroadcastable as it was. It was deeply traumatic and it was really upsetting. Adam was so wound up. He was so aggressive. It looked like he was going to attack Jimmy."
Bullard described Thomas's reaction as "pathetic" and explained his own decision to quit was motivated by a desire to go home.
Despite the incident, Thomas was saved when hosts Ant and Dec gave the remaining campmates the choice to allow him to stay, and they unanimously voted in his favor.
Reflections and Camp Atmosphere
Thomas acknowledged the recent focus on drama in the camp but emphasized there was much more to his experience:
"I know a lot of my time in camp which has been aired recently has been drama, but there was so much more... so many laughs and so much love and warmth."
The footage from the South African camp was filmed several months prior, but the winner was only announced during the live final in London.
Other Notable Events in the Series
The series was marked by several significant moments. Former Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard was forced to withdraw after fainting during the show's Bush Telegraph segment.
In February, Callard revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and stated that filming I'm A Celebrity was the beginning of her health issues. She was unable to attend the Friday final on medical advice and expressed her disappointment:
"I was absolutely gutted, but resting up and getting well is more important at the moment."
David Haye also attracted controversy for remarks about women, including a comment that his girlfriend has "the personality of a proper ugly bird."
After being voted off in Monday's episode, Haye was asked to select another celebrity to leave and chose TV personality Gemma Collins. Collins, a fan favorite, was participating 12 years after quitting the regular show due to difficulties adapting to jungle life.
Craig Charles made an emotional return to the series after previously withdrawing due to the sudden death of his brother.
Other contestants this year included TV star Scarlett Moffatt, singers Sinitta and Ashley Roberts, and comedian Seann Walsh.
