‘I was on I’m A Celebrity with Adam Thomas – one thing I witnessed was bang out of order’

Craig Charles has spoken out on I’m A Celebrity… South Africa’s King of the Jungle Adam Thomas, after the actor’s win was overshadowed by a tense on-air exchange

Craig said Adam had looked quite unhappy about his win(Image: Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Shutterstock)

While the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! camp experience typically unites celebrity contestants, last Friday’s final was marred by an explosive dispute. Following a falling-out between Adam Thomas and Jimmy Bullard during a trial in South Africa, tensions intensified when David Haye entered the confrontation on live television.

Waterloo Road star Adam held footballer Jimmy Bullard responsible for jeopardising his position on the programme, after Jimmy withdrew from the Bushtucker Trial they were tasked with as a duo to secure immunity from elimination. The soap actor’s anger over Jimmy’s withdrawal prompted the former sportsman to brand his behaviour ‘abusive, aggressive and intimidating’.

As tensions mounted while the celebrities revisited the contentious incident during the final, The X Factor’s Sinitta and TOWIE personality Gemma Collins appeared to exit the set. Meanwhile, presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly attempted to defuse the situation before Adam ultimately claimed the public’s King of the Jungle crown.

During his BBC Radio 6 Music Funk and Soul programme, I’m A Celebrity… South Africa participant Craig Charles defended Adam, highlighting that the actor had already issued a “fulsome” apology for losing his temper with Jimmy following the trial.

Discussing Friday’s tense and turbulent finale, Craig remarked: “And then what happened to Adam last night, our new jungle legend, that’s bang out of order.

Adam won the public vote after very nearly being eliminated(Image: Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Shutterstock)

“That was bullying. It was bang out of order, what happened to him. He looked so upset. I have never seen someone so unhappy to win anything.” Craig emphasised that he, along with fellow finalists Harry Redknapp and Sir Mo Farah, hadn’t fully understood the severity of the situation while filming was taking place, mentioning Adam’s exchanges with boxer David Haye: “We didn’t really know how much Adam was struggling to be honest, because he was giving as good as he got most of the time”, he said.

The pivotal moment occurred during the “Rancid Run” challenge, where one celebrity had to collect cogs from an abacus using only their tongue. As the challenge commenced, Jimmy appeared frozen with fear.

He admitted: “Boys, I don’t think I’ve got it in me…”, while Adam successfully manoeuvred the first cog through the abacus. Events ground to a dramatic standstill when Jimmy declared: “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!”

Adam and Jimmy fell out after the trial (Image: ITV/Shutterstock)

Adam was furious about Jimmy’s choice, because he thought that he would also need to exit the programme, given they were participating as a team at that stage. The pair then engaged in an intense exchange before Adam became quite emotional over the prospect of having to leave camp, until the producers made the decision that he could remain while Jimmy departed.

But discussing the incident when, as Craig described it, Adam “had a little wig-out in the jungle where he lost his temper a little bit, with Jimmy,” the radio presenter clarified that Adam had acknowledged his mistake: “He made a fulsome apology to Jimmy Bullard. There’s not much more that man can do.

“He’s put his hands up and said, ‘I was a bit out of order… I’m sorry, I really apologise’,” Craig continued.

Craig was already a friend of Adam’s prior to entering the jungle, recalling how he had attended the funeral of the Emmerdale star’s father Dougie James back in 2022. As Craig began his Saturday night 6 Music programme, he offered words of support, saying: “If you’re listening, Adam, have a dance, forget about it. You’re a jungle legend. Life moves on.

“Sorry for your pain, and your trouble… Congratulations, mate. You’ll come to enjoy it. You are a jungle legend.”