ITV’s I’m A Celebrity South Africa live final descended into chaos as the stars reunited, with winner Adam Thomas’s victory overshadowed
Adam Thomas looked visibly deflated (Image: ITV)
The I’m A Celebrity South Africa live final has officially entered the record books for entirely the wrong reasons.
What ought to have been a triumphant evening for the winner, actor Adam Thomas, yet it instead became one of the most difficult nights he’s experienced, and his frustration was plain to see.
Friction had already been mounting between Thomas and fellow campmates Jimmy Bullard and David Haye, with presenters Ant and Dec even highlighting their disagreeable conduct.
In an unprecedented moment, Ant McPartlin’s neutrality appeared to vanish following reports he became involved in a “sweary ad break rant” with Bullard.
The confrontation was inevitably going to come to a head – so why was the live final allowed to go ahead?
Jimmy Bullard and Ant McPartlin came face to face in an awkward moment after the I’m a Celeb final show(Image: Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Shutterstock)
The uncomfortable reality is that increased tension leads to bigger viewing figures – audiences are drawn to drama, regardless of the toll on participants.
Thomas isn’t entirely blameless in this situation, though he acknowledged his mistakes and wanted to put things behind him.
Regrettably for him, he appeared noticeably deflated as Bullard and Haye were afforded the opportunity to keep voicing their complaints.
Before the broadcast, did anyone pause to consider, ‘Perhaps this isn’t a good idea?’ – The probability is that viewers were already anticipating the prospect of a live confrontation with excitement.
I’m a Celebrity… South Africa was full of drama (Image: ITV)
Given the outstanding tensions, wouldn’t the responsible decision have been to cancel the live final altogether? Viewers could still have taken charge by casting their votes for their preferred winner through the I’m A Celeb app, which would have spared the cast considerable embarrassment.
Sadly, keeping the peace rarely makes for compelling reality TV – a genre that thrives on dramatic, larger-than-life moments.
Even days after the live finale, it remains one of the most hotly debated moments on television, yet what has truly been achieved from this debacle?
Thomas hardly comes across as a triumphant winner, his fellow campmates are likely still cringing with mortification, and questions are bound to arise over how the whole situation was handled. The question remains – was it all worth it for the sake of the ratings?
I’m A Celebrity South Africa is on ITVX
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